Assessment of the usefulness of three-dimensional scanner in aesthetic evaluation of post-traumatic rhinoplasty

Abstract

Preoperative, accurate measurement of spatial parameters of the external nose could be essential in the postoperative assessment of rhinoplasty. The aim of the study was to analyse the relevance of three-dimensional (3D) imaging in aesthetic evaluation after operation, to provide a standardised algorithm of nasal shape measurements, which will enable the development of software for assessing the nose before and after rhinoplasty, to perform analysis of spatial changes of both its shape and asymmetry by the new protocol of measurements. Fifty-four patients were examined preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. The following nasal parameters were determined: rates of proportion, angles, and spatial parameters. After the operation, statistically significant differences were observed in all parameters. In conclusion, a 3D scanner can be used as a tool to assess the results of rhinoplasty. This protocol of measurements describes spatial changes of the nose shape resulting from the operation.

Key Words::

• Rhinoplasty
• post-traumatic
• 3D scanner
• 3D imaging
• spatial parameters
• nasal volume
• anthropometry
• follow-up

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Maria Dlugolecka-Graham, MBE, University of Edinburgh, UK, for her assistance in preparing this paper for publication.