Accuracy and Reproducibility of a 3-Dimensional Stereophotogrammetric Imaging System

Purpose To test the accuracy and reproducibility of a 3-dimensional (3D) stereophotogrammetric imaging system for measuring the facial soft tissues of healthy subjects. Materials and Methods Three-dimensional soft tissue facial landmarks were obtained from the faces of 10 adult subjects, by use of a 3D stereophotogrammetric imaging system (Vectra; Canfield Scientific, Fairfield, NJ). Sixteen linear measurements were computed. Systematic and random errors between operators, calibration steps, and acquisitions were calculated. Results No systematic errors were found for all performed tests ( P > .05, paired t test). The method was repeatable, and random errors were always lower than 1 mm, except for the distance from cheilion to cheilion. Repeated sets of acquisition showed random errors up to 0.91 mm, without systematic biases. Conclusion The 3D stereophotogrammetric imaging system can assess the coordinates of facial landmarks with good precision and reproducibility. The method is fast and can obtain facial measurements with few errors.