Aging Facial Skeleton Prs
Aging Facial Skeleton Prs
Aging Facial Skeleton Prs
Background: Facial aging is a dynamic process involving the aging of soft-tissue and bony structures. In this study, the authors demonstrate how the facial skeleton changes with age in both male and female subjects and what impact these structural changes may have on overall facial aesthetics. Methods: Facial bone computed tomographic scans were obtained from 60 female and 60 male Caucasian subjects. Twenty male and 20 female subjects were placed in three age categories (20 to 40 years, 41 to 64 years, and 65 years and older). Each computed tomographic scan underwent three-dimensional reconstruction with volume rendering. Edentulous patients were excluded. The following measurements were obtained: upper face (orbital aperture area, orbital aperture width, and curvilinear analysis of the superior and inferior orbital rims), midface (glabellar angle, pyriform angle, maxillary angle, and pyriform aperture area), and lower face (bigonial width, ramus breadth, ramus height, mandibular body height, mandibular body length, and mandibular angle). Results: The orbital aperture width and orbital aperture area increased significantly with age for both sexes. There was a significant increase in orbital aperture size (increase in height of the superomedial and inferolateral orbital rim) in both sexes. The glabellar and maxillary angles decreased significantly with age for both sexes, whereas the pyriform aperture area significantly increased for both sexes with age. Mandibular length and height both decreased significantly for each sex. The mandibular angle significantly increased with age for both sexes. Conclusions: These results suggest that the skeletal morphology of the face changes with age. This change in skeletal morphology may contribute to the appearance of the aging face. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 127: 374, 2011.)
o effectively rejuvenate the aging face, it is necessary to understand the dynamic aging process. Epidermal thinning and the decrease in collagen cause skin to lose its elasticity. Loss of fat, coupled with gravity and muscle pull, leads to wrinkling and the formation of dynamic lines. These factors contribute to the formation of nasolabial folds, jowls, crows feet, and the sagging appearance of aged facial skin. The aging process has also been shown to affect the facial bones. Multiple studies suggest that the bony aging of the orbit and midface is a process primarily of contraction and morphologic
From the Divisions of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Departments of General Surgery of University of Rochester Medical Center, Stanford University Medical Center, and Harvard University Medical Center. Received for publication April 17, 2010; accepted July 19, 2010. Copyright 2010 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181f95b2d
change.17 Past studies by our group analyzing the midface and orbit in smaller sample sizes found that the facial bones experience volume loss with increasing age. In this study, we incorporate and expand on all our previous work and present the aging of the face in its entirety and in a substantially larger subject size. We also explore the aesthetic implications of these structural changes and provide possible rejuvenation strategies for each area of the face.
Disclosures: Dr. Yaremchuk is a consultant for Porex Surgical. The other authors have no financial interests to declare.
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RESULTS
The mean age in the young age group was 26.3 years for our male subjects and 24.7 years for our
Fig. 1. The distance from the orbital width axis to the superior and inferior orbital rims was obtained at nine equal increments.
Fig. 2. 1, Bigonial width (distance between the right and left gonion); 2, mandibular body height (distance from the infradentale to the gnathion) (go, gonion; gn, gnathion).
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Fig. 3. 3, Ramus breadth (breadth of the mandibular ramus at the narrowest point); 4, ramus height (distance from the highest point on the mandibular condyle to the gonion); 5, mandibular body length (anterior margin of the chin to the gonion); 6, mandibular angle (the angle formed by the inferior border of the mandibular body and the posterior border of the ramus).
female subjects. The male subjects in our middle age group had a mean age of 51.3 years, whereas the female subjects had a mean age of 50.2 years. The mean age in the old age group was 76 years for our male subjects and 81.1 years for our female subjects (Table 1). Orbit Orbital Aperture Width The orbital aperture width increased significantly with age for both male (F 6.012, p 0.0043) and female (F 24.81, p 0.0001) study populations. Male subjects had a statistically significant increase from the young age group to the old age group (t 3.4, p 0.05). Female subjects had a statistically significant increase from the young age group to the middle age group (t 5.7, p 0.01) (Table 2 and Fig. 4, above, left). Orbital Aperture Area The orbital aperture area increased significantly with age for both male (F 15.03, p 0.0001) and female (F 31.16, p 0.0001) study populations. Male subjects had a statistically significant increase from the middle age group to the old age group (t 5.2, p 0.05). Female subjects had a statistically significant increase from the
Table 1. Average Age by Sex in Each Age Category
Young (yr) Male Mean Range SD 26.3 2031 3.9 Female 24.7 2036 5.4 Middle (yr) Male 51.3 4161 8.5 Female 50.2 4164 7.3 Old (yr) Male 76 6686 6.5 Female 81.1 6593 8.4
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38.7 (1.0) 35.7 (1.4) 1072 (61.8) 930 (61.9) 72.3 (3.6) 76.8 (3.2) 62.2 (3.0) 64.9 (4.2) 60.9 (2.9) 58.9 (3.0) 624.5 (41.6) 486.4 (33.7) 90.4 (5.4) 86.9 (3.2) 35.4 (2.9) 31.5 (3.5) 112.3 (6.9) 119.9 (5.3) 34.4 (4.0) 31.5 (2.7) 60.8 (4.2) 54.4 (2.0) 100.9 (9.5) 91.8 (6.1)
39.3 (1.9) 38.0 (1.3)* 1100 (73.3) 1047 (75.2)* 71.8 (3.5) 73.6 (2.1)* 58.8 (3.3)* 57.8 (3.1)* 58.7 (4.0) 57.7 (3.6) 664.7 (45.2)* 549.3 (55.1)* 83.1 (2.9)* 80.9 (3.5)* 32.9 (1.8)* 30.6 (2.9) 124.1 (3.7)* 125.8 (5.1)* 31.8 (2.2) 30.3 (2.8) 62.9 (3.4) 53.4 (2.7) 101.1 (3.2) 94.7 (4.9)
40.5 (1.7) 38.3 (1.2) 1191 (79.4) 1106 (77.4) 67.6 (2.7) 71.7 (5.0) 53.3 (3.0) 54.0 (4.1) 60.1 (3.2) 56.8 (2.5) 663.4 (46.8) 555.4 (49.8) 83.0 (6.3) 80.8 (4.0) 32.3 (1.6) 27.7 (3.9) 125.6 (5.8) 132.0 (4.9) 31.9 (3.8) 30.5 (2.9) 55.1 (4.5) 49.1 (8.2) 100.3 (6.3) 94.0 (5.4)
*Statistically significant difference between young and middle age groups. Statistically significant difference between middle and old age groups.
p 0.008) and female (F 13.16, p 0.0001) study populations. Male subjects had a statistically significant increase from the young age group to the middle age group (t 2.85, p 0.05). Female subjects had a statistically significant increase from the young age group to the middle age group (t 4.22, p 0.01) (Table 2 and Fig. 4, center, right). Mandible Bigonial Width and Ramus Breadth Bigonial width did not change significantly with increasing age for either male (F 0.09, p 0.91) or female subjects (F 1.36, p 0.26) (Table 2 and Fig. 5, center, right). Ramus breadth did not change significantly with increasing age for either male (F 2.5 p
0.056) or female subjects (F 0.88, p 0.42) (Table 2 and Fig. 5, below, right). Ramus Height The ramus height decreased significantly with age for both male (F 5.19, p 0.0001) and female (F 17.36, p 0.0001) study populations. Male subjects had a statistically significant decrease from the middle age group to the old age group (t 5.77, p 0.001). Female subjects had a statistically significant decrease from the middle age group to the old age group (t 2.5, p 0.05) (Table 2 and Fig. 5, below, left). Mandibular Body Height The mandibular body height decreased significantly with age for both male (F 9.8, p 0.0002) and female (F 6.03, p 0.0043) study populations. Male subjects had a statistically signifi-
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Fig. 4. Column graphs illustrating a statistically significant increase in orbital aperture width, orbital aperture area, and pyriform aperture area for both sexes. Glabellar angle and maxillary angle showed a statistically significantly decrease for both sexes. Pyriform angle showed no statistically significant change with age for either sex.
cant decrease from the young age group to the middle age group (t 3.43, p 0.01). Female subjects had a statistically significant decrease from the middle age group to the old age group (t 2.53, p 0.05) (Table 2 and Fig. 5, above, right). Mandibular Body Length The mandibular body length decreased significantly with age for both male (F 10.35, p 0.0002) and female (F 18.94, p 0.0001) study populations. Male subjects had a statistically signifi-
cant decrease from the young age group to the middle age group (t 4.40, p 0.001). Female subjects had a statistically significant decrease from the young age group to the middle age group (t 5.179, p 0.001), (Table 2 and Fig. 5, center, left). Mandibular Angle The mandibular angle significantly increased with age for both male (F 30.84, p 0.0001) and female (F 25.81, p 0.0001) study populations. Male subjects had a statistically significant increase
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2.921, p 0.062 2.189, p 0.121 2.057, p 0.137 2.078, p 0.1346 28.4, p 0.0001 (2 27.9, p 0.0001 (2 22.6, p 0.0001 (2 25.2, p 0.0001 (2 27.9, p 0.0001 (2
3, 3, 3, 3, 3,
t t t t t
5.697, p 0.001) 5.092, p 0.001) 4.442, p 0.001) 4.7, p 0.001) 5.154, p 0.001)
from the young age group to the middle age group (t 6.404, p 0.001). Female subjects had a statistically significant increase from the young age group to the middle age group (t 3.38, p 0.01) and between the middle age group and the old age group (t 3.87, p 0.001) (Table 2 and Fig. 5, above, left).
DISCUSSION
Much is known with regard to the aging of the facial skin and subcutaneous tissues.8 10 This knowl-
edge has made soft-tissue redraping and skin reduction the predominant approach for rejuvenating the aging face. Soft-tissue augmentation to replace volume loss has become more accepted recently by many to enhance the treatment plan for those seeking facial rejuvenation.1113 This volume loss is likely caused by soft-tissue atrophy in addition to a loss of bony support and projection. The bony components of the face are important for overall facial threedimensional contour, as they provide the framework on which the soft-tissue envelope drapes. If this
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Fig. 5. Column graphs illustrating no statistically significant change in bigonial width or ramus breadth for either sex. Ramus height, mandibular body height, and mandibular body length showed a statistically significant decrease with age for both sexes. There was also a statistically significant increase in mandibular angle for both sexes with increasing age.
framework experiences a morphologic change with age, the overlying soft tissues will subsequently project differently. Soft-tissue fillers can be used successfully to restore volume loss caused by facial aging, particularly in the following anatomical regions: nasolabial fold, glabellar crease, malar region, nasojugal groove, and lips.14 As the majority of facial volume loss through aging is attributable to fat loss, fat may represent the ideal soft-tissue replace-
ment. Improvements in technique have enhanced the predictability of facial fat grafting. When autologous fat is not an option, alternative facial fillers including calcium hydroxylapatite and hyaluronic acid may provide excellent results.15 Skeletal augmentation, using implants made of silicone or porous polyethylene, is a simple and effective method of reversing age-related changes of the facial skeleton in patients with intact occlusion. Skeletal implants correct concave morphol-
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Fig. 6. (Above) Example images of the bony orbit of a young female subject on the left and an old female subject on the right (different subject). (Below) The aged orbit may be rejuvenated with volume augmentation.
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Fig. 7. Example images of the bony mandible of a young female subject on the left and an old female subject on the right (different subject).
lower lid fat pockets, and deepening of the nasojugal groove as disproportionate tissue piles up against the orbicularis origin along the medial rim and the origin of the orbicularis is reshaped with its underlying bony attachment. The decrease in maxillary angle may lead to decreased skeletal support for the malar fat pad, which may allow the nasolabial crease to become more prominent. The increase in pyriform aperture with increased age may contribute to decreased nasal support and projection. Mandible The length and height of the mandible both decreased significantly for each sex. These bony changes may result in the appearance of decreased chin projection that is found with increased age. The mandible is the foundation of the lower face, and any change in mandibular projection, width, or height can affect overall aesthetics. Patients with a normal mandibular ramus height and length of the mandibular body have an excellent support for soft-tissue repositioning. In contrast, those with a short ramus, open mandibular angle, and short mandibular body have poor skeletal support for midface and perioral soft-tissue repositioning and often benefit from volumetric augmentation to enhance their skeletal support.20 Patients with decreased chin projection and a prejowl sulcus often benefit from alloplastic augmentation.21 Mandibular volume loss also affects the aging of the neck, as it may contribute to the increased laxity of the platysma and soft tissues of the neck. The mandibular angle increased with age for both sexes in our study population. The increase in mandibular angle may result in blunting or the loss of definition of the lower border of the face. A blunted mandibular angle creates a loss of jawline definition (Fig. 7).
CONCLUSIONS
The facial skeleton experiences morphologic change and an overall decrease in volume with increasing age. This results in decreased support and projection of the soft-tissue envelope. This in addition to the decrease in facial fat leads to the appearance of the aged face.
Howard N. Langstein, M.D. Division of Plastic Surgery University of Rochester Medical Center 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 661 Rochester, N.Y. 14642 Howard_Langstein@urmc.rochester.edu
REFERENCES
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