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In vivo facial soft tissue depths of a modern adult population from Germany

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Abstract

Forensic facial reconstruction may be the final option available to draw public attention in cases where the identity of an individual cannot be established by standard identification methods. Two fundamental components of all forensic facial reconstruction techniques are cranial morphology and soft tissue depth databases. The purpose of this study was to extend such databases by providing a complete set of accurate facial soft tissue thickness measurements, acquired from a contemporary adult population from Germany. The material for the study consisted of 320 (160 male, 160 female) anonymised multi-slice computerised tomography (MSCT) scans of individuals drawn from a German population. In Amira®, 3D models of the surfaces of the skull and the facial skin were semi-automatically segmented using calculated thresholds and surface extraction algorithms. Facial soft tissue depth was measured at 10 midline and 28 bilateral anatomical landmarks. The analysis of facial soft tissue thickness versus BMI, sex and age indicated that, at a number of the landmarks, facial soft tissue depth is significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by all three biometric variables. Facial soft tissue thickness increased with increasing BMI. The differences between males and females were statistically significant (p < 0.05) for almost all anatomical landmarks with the exception of a few in the region of the nasal root and orbitals. Asymmetry was noted at over half of the bilateral landmarks. The differences between the results from this sample and those obtained from comparable databases contradict the hypothesis that population specificity significantly influences facial soft tissue thickness.

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Acknowledgments

Author (NT) would like to take this opportunity to express her gratitude to Dr. Volker Keil and Dr. Uwe Roy for their gracious support. This study was made possible by the College Research Student Award (College Scholarship), the Abercromby Fund and the Research Student Support Fund, all granted by the University of Edinburgh. Her thanks go to her supervisors at the University of Edinburgh, to Dr. Christopher Rynn and Prof. Sue Black from the Centre of Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) and to Prof. Caroline Wilkinson of the Face Lab at the Liverpool School of Art & Design. Special thanks go to Carl N. Stephan of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, for having the patience of a saint, being an amazing teacher, and going above and beyond to support. Last but not least, the author (NT) would like to gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Mr. Lukas Albietz.

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  1. School of History, Classics & Archaeology (SHCA), University of Edinburgh, William Robertson Wing, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, UK

    Nicolle Thiemann

  2. Johanniterplatz 2a, 97070, Würzburg, Germany

    Volker Keil & Uwe Roy

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  1. Nicolle Thiemann
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Correspondence to Nicolle Thiemann.

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Ethical approval to work with anonymised medical records obtained in a German radiological practice was requested from, and granted by, the ethics committee of the School of History, Classics and Archaeology (SHCA). The medical data were treated in accordance with the data protection laws in force in both Germany and the UK.

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Thiemann, N., Keil, V. & Roy, U. In vivo facial soft tissue depths of a modern adult population from Germany. Int J Legal Med 131, 1455–1488 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-017-1581-y

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