Investigation Of Anatomic Anthropometric Measurement Of The External Nasal Soft-tissue In 119 Normal Young Adults Of Han Nationality

Objective: The aim of this investigation was to measure and investigate the external nasal soft-tissue in the normal young adults of Han nationality, to perform an in-depth calculation of the nasal proportion indices and symmetry indices and to provide credible and objective reference data for clinic.Material and methods: A random sample of 119 normal young adult college students of Han nationality (56males and 63 females) between the age of 18 and 25 years (mean age 22.7 years) in Changsha was used for this investigation. By the guidance of standard methods, based on Farkas's anthropometric measurements in craniofacial region, 13 landmarks and 19 items for measurement, including 16 linear and 3 angular items, were chosen. 13 proportion indices and 5 symmetry indices were calculated after the measurements.Results: Means and standard deviations of all the items have been obtained respectively. All the linear measurements were larger in male than in female, while all the angular measurements were smaller in male than in female. The significant differences in partial items between male and female have been proved. Nasal height, nasal depth, intercanthal distance, nasal root depth, nasal width, alar base width, ala length, ala thickness, columella width, superior width of the columella, nostril width, nostril height, unilateral nostril floor width, inner nostril floor width and nasofrontal angle showed significant differences in gender (P<0.01), while nasal length, columella length, nasorostral angle and nasolabial angle showed no significant difference in gender (P>0.05). In 13 proportion indices, the differences of nasal index, nasal-intercanthal width index, nasal root depth-nasal height index, ala length-nasal height index and nasal root depth-nasal depth index were significant in gender (P<0.01), but the differences of nasal depth-width index, nasal bridge index, columella width-nasal width index, inner nostril floor width-nasal width index, nasal width-ala length index, columella length-nasal depth index, unilateral nostril floor width-nasal depth index and inner nostril floor width-nasal depth index were not significant in gender (P>0.05). Compared with the available literatures in various domestic and international investigations, some items in this investigation were different to some extent.Conclusion: This investigation, which could be regarded as quantitative reference in investigations of other age groups, different regions and various nationalities, provided normal measurements for surgery and evaluation of the secondary nasal deformity in the cleft lip and palate patients. New measurements were added to the databank of the anatomic measurement of the external nasal soft-tissue in the normal young adult Chinese.