Use of magnetic resonance imaging to measure facial soft tissue depth.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of using magnetic resonance imaging to estimate facial tissue depth at standard anthropological facial landmarks.

Design: Standard facial landmarks were marked with magnetic resonance imaging opaque markers on 10 normal subjects. Three observers estimated facial tissue depth at these landmarks on up to three separate occasions, and comparisons were made among the observers.

Setting: The study was conducted with volunteers at the University of Alberta Biomechanical Engineering unit.

Participants: The volunteers were healthy individuals of both sexes between the ages of 18 and 30 years.

Main Outcome Measures: The technical error of measurement among observers was used as the main indicator of precision of measurement.

Results: Measurements of tissue depth showed tolerable technical error of measurement and were precisely measured within and among observers.

Conclusions: Magnetic resonance images can be used to estimate tissue depth in human faces with precision.