A Survey Into Computer-assisted Digital Photogrammetry Of Vertical Dimension

Objective: To measure the vertical dimensions and related items of palms of people over 50 years old living in Hunan province through the computer-assisted digital photogrammetry, analyzing the sex differences of vertical dimension and relationship between vertical dimension and the values of the related items of palms. The investigation was to make a contribution to the vertical jaw relation record.Methods: 45 people with a natural occlusal vertical dimension were selected. They were all over 50 years old and their average age is 62 years old. Each object had been taken a digital photograph of his or her profile,palm of left hand and a gage in one picture from his/her right side. Then these digital photographs were measured by image analytic software called Image-Pro Plus 6.0. (1 facial metered item and 4 volar metered items were included). All the measurements were taken by one person. Then the results of measurements were processed by SPSS13.0. Not only an average value and standard deviation of men and women were calculated respectively, but also Wilcoxon rank sum test was made in sexual comparison. Furthermore, Wilcoxon signed-rank test were made between values of vertical dimensions and related items of palms.Results: 1. There is a significant deviation between men and women in vertical dimension (P<0.01). That is, men have relatively longer vertical dimensions than women. 2. There is no significant deviation in values between vertical dimension and the width of tetradactylism at the proximal articulationes interphalangeae of finger II in old women (P>0.05). There is no significant deviation in values between vertical dimension and the finger II length at facies palmares both in old men and women (P>0.05).Conclusions: 1. There are sex differences in vertical dimension. That is, men have longer vertical dimensions than women. 2. The value of finger II length at facies palmares could be representative of vertical dimension in clinic. This may be a feasible way of vertical jaw relation record.