Abstract
The objective of this study was to compose a reliable and readily reproducible method of predicting nasal morphology from the bony aperture, which restricts subjectivity whilst allowing anatomical nuance to be taken into account. Clinical head CT data from a sample of 79 North American subjects of varied ancestry was analysed for interrelationships between the bone and soft tissue of the nose in three dimensions, then pooled with 60 lateral cephalograms of subjects of European ancestry from England to augment nasal profile data. A series of simple regression equations was produced using linear distances between pairs of bony landmarks to predict nasal profile dimensions and restrict potential subjective error in Gerasimov’s “Two-tangent” method. Maximum nasal width, the position of the alae and nostrils, and prediction of nasal asymmetry were incorporated into the resulting threedimensional nasal prediction method.
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Acknowledgments
This research is supported by The University of Dundee, and in part by an appointment to the Research Participation Program at the Federal Bureau of Investigation—Counterterrorism and Forensic Science Research Unit (FBI-CFSRU) administered by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) by an interagency agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy and FBI-CFSRU. A debt of gratitude is owed to Myke Taister, and to all at the CFSRU, FBI Academy; Quantico VA, USA. Many thanks also to Karen Taylor and Betty Pat Gatliff; Keith Horner of The Turner Dental School, Manchester; Sven De Greef and the Department of Medical Image Computing, ESAT & Radiology and Forensic Dentistry, Faculties of Medicine and Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Professor Richard Helmer; Jason Alldridge; Giles Thomas; and the subject who granted permission to use his image, yet prefers to remain nameless.
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Appendix
Appendix
Profile measurements | Units | CVE |
|---|---|---|
Height of nasal part of frontal bone perpendicular to FHP | mm | 0.09 |
nasion—rhinion | mm | 0.01 |
nasion—nasion’ | mm | 0.03 |
rhinion—nasion’ | mm | 0.01 |
nasion—post PLB (most posterior pt on lateral border of aperture) | mm | 0.07 |
Plb—acanthion | mm | 0.01 |
acanthion—nasion | mm | 0.01 |
rhinion—Plb | mm | 0.04 |
rhinion—acanthion | mm | 0.01 |
Plb—subspinale | mm | 0.07 |
subspinale—acanthion | mm | 0.01 |
nasion’—subnasale’ | mm | 0.01 |
nasion’—acanthion | mm | 0.01 |
acanthion—subnasale’ | mm | 0.03 |
nasion’—pronasale | mm | 0.09 |
pronasale—subnasale’ | mm | 0.03 |
pronasale—c mid (columellar break point) | mm | 0.01 |
c mid—subnasale’ | mm | 0.02 |
subnasale’—subspinale | mm | 0.04 |
nasion—subspinale | mm | 0.03 |
subspinale—prosthion | mm | 0.01 |
subnasale’—prosthion | mm | 0.01 |
nasion—prosthion | mm | 0.01 |
acanthion—pronasale | mm | 0.02 |
AA (halfway up the inferior slope of the ANS)—pronasale along FHP [11] | mm | 0.04 |
Height of nasal bones from nasion in NSP [13] | mm | 0.01 |
Projection of nasal bones from nasion in NSP [13] | mm | 0.01 |
Nasoglabellar angle (rhinion-nasion-glabella) | Degrees | 0.04 |
Angle of inferior border of ANS from FHP | Degrees | 0.03 |
Nasal angle 1 (subnasale—c mid from FHP) | Degrees | 0.10 |
Nasal angle 2 (c mid—pronasale from FHP) | Degrees | 0.09 |
Nasolabial angle | Degrees | 0.02 |
Rhinion-Plb-acanthion angle | Degrees | 0.01 |
Nasion’-pronasale-subnasale angle | Degrees | 0.09 |
ANS length from VMJ [4] | mm | 0.03 |
Subspinale to pronasale in FHP | mm | 0.02 |
Subnasale’ to pronasale in FHP | mm | 0.02 |
Width of nasal root | mm | 0.01 |
Width at widest part of nasal bridge, 2/3 down | mm | 0.01 |
Width of maxillary central incisors | mm | 0.02 |
Intercanine distance | mm | 0.01 |
Gonial angle | Degrees | 0.11 |
The following are linear distances vertical (vert), anterior (ant) or lateral (lat) from the bony nasion in the midline. The NPP is used as a vertical skull alignment plane | ||
Rhinion vert. | mm | 0.01 |
Rhinion ant. | mm | 0.01 |
Pronasale vert. | mm | 0.03 |
Pronasale ant. | mm | 0.01 |
Acanthion vert. | mm | 0.01 |
Acanthion ant. | mm | 0.01 |
Subspinale vert. | mm | 0.03 |
Subspinale ant. | mm | 0.02 |
Subnasale vert. [11] | mm | 0.03 |
Subnasale ant. | mm | 0.01 |
Right inferior turbinate, vert. | mm | 0.01 |
Left inferior turbinate, vert. | mm | 0.01 |
Lowest pt on right aperture, vert. | mm | 0.01 |
Lowest pt on left aperture, vert. | mm | 0.01 |
Alae and nostril landmarks (Fig. 1b) Each measurement taken unilaterally: repeated for both right and left sides | ||
Pt 1 vert. (most anterior pt on nostril border) | mm | 0.02 |
Pt 1 ant. | mm | 0.01 |
Pt 1 lat. | mm | 0.01 |
Pt 2 vert. (most posterior pt on nostril border) | mm | 0.03 |
Pt 2 ant. | mm | 0.01 |
Pt 2 lat. | mm | 0.02 |
Pt 3 vert. (most superior pt on nostril border) | mm | 0.02 |
Pt 3 ant. | mm | 0.07 |
Pt 3 lat. | mm | 0.02 |
Pt 4 vert. (most proximal pt on alar groove) | mm | 0.09 |
Pt 4 ant. | mm | 0.02 |
Pt 4 lat. | mm | 0.03 |
Pt 5 vert. (most superior pt on alar groove) | mm | 0.02 |
Pt 5 ant. | mm | 0.08 |
Pt 5 lat. | mm | 0.01 |
Pt 6 vert. (most lateral pt on ala) | mm | 0.09 |
Pt 6 ant. | mm | 0.09 |
Pt 6 lat. (right + left = maximum nasal width) | mm | 0.01 |
Pt 7 vert. (most inferior pt on alar groove) | mm | 0.01 |
Pt 7 ant. | mm | 0.06 |
Pt 7 lat. | mm | 0.04 |
Pt 8 vert. (columella break point) | mm | 0.04 |
Pt 8 ant. | mm | 0.04 |
Pt 8 lat. | mm | 0.01 |
Dimensions used to define lateral piriform aperture border (Plb) and dorsum of nose using 3D transverse planes corresponding to Prokopec and Ubelaker’s (2002) 2D lateral planes. Repeated for each transverse slice (a, b, c and d) equidistant between the rhinion and the level of MAW | ||
Distance of transverse slice (a) down the NPP from the rhinion (line P) | mm | 0.01 |
Profile—line P along INB (ant) on slice (a) | mm | 0.02 |
Profile—aperture border (ant) on slice (a); right + left | mm | 0.01 |
INB midline—aperture border (lat) on slice (a); right and left | mm | 0.01 |
Aperture border—profile along INB (ant) on slice (a); right + left | mm | 0.01 |
Deviation of the septum (lat) on slice (a); right +ve | mm | 0.01 |
INB midline 4 mm posterior to dorsum—surface of nose (lat) on slice (a); right and left | mm | 0.02 |
Qualitative observations | ||
Bridge shape in profile [11] | 1 straight, 2 hump, 3 saddle | |
Tip shape in profile [11] | 1 pointed, 2 angled, 3 round | |
Nostril shape in profile [11] | 1 closed, 2 open, 3 ant flared, 4 post flared | |
Aperture profile | 1 sharply angled, 2 rounded | |
Brow ridges | 0 absent, 1 present, 2 strong | |
Nasal guttering | 0 none, 1 ambiguous, 2 marked guttering | |
Gnathism | 0 ortho., 1 maxillary prog., 2 full prog., 3 retro. | |
Alar shape | 0 round, 1oval, 2 undefined, 3 high oval | |
Bifid nose | 0 rounded, 1 bifid columella, 2 full bifid tip | |
ANS morphology | 0 sharp, 1 spatulate, 2 split, 3 absent | |
ANS direction | 0 straight, 1 right, 2 left | |
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Rynn, C., Wilkinson, C.M. & Peters, H.L. Prediction of nasal morphology from the skull. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 6, 20–34 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-009-9124-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-009-9124-6