Does Hand-Predominance Have a Predominant Influence on Craniofacial Asymmetric and Anthropometric Analysis in Preadolescences?

Gloria Chen, Junior Chun Yu Tu, Shih Heng Chen, Emma Yuh Jia Hsieh, Betty C.J. Pai, Ching Yen Tsai, Pang-Yun Chou*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

Abstract

Background: Although the human body generally exhibits bilateral symmetry, achieving perfect symmetry is exceedingly uncommon. During preadolescent development, a face that approximates symmetry is considered both aesthetically and functionally ideal. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between craniofacial traits and hand predominance, using three-dimensional (3D) stereophotogrammetry to discern whether facial soft-tissue characteristics are correlated with hand preference. Materials and Methods: The study involved children aged 9 and 10 years who were free from any diagnosed craniofacial anomalies. Three-dimensional stereophotogrammetry was conducted to analyze their facial morphology, and 37 distinct anatomical landmarks were manually identified using a MATLAB-developed program. Results: A total of 188 Taiwanese children participated in the study. All participants were healthy, with a mean age of 9.79 years. Among them, 93.1% (175) were right-hand predominant, and 6.9% (13) were left-hand predominant. There were no significant differences in linear parameters or facial asymmetry between right-hand-predominant and left-hand-predominant participants (p > 0.05). However, a consistent trend toward right laterality, especially in the right lateral frontal region of the cranium, was observed, as illustrated by heat maps of the average three-dimensional model. Conclusions: The study found no association between facial morphology and hand predominance. A normal asymmetry with a rightward tendency was noted in children aged 9 to 10 years, which was particularly notable in the lateral frontal region of the head.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2359
JournalDiagnostics
Volume14
Issue number21
DOIs
StatePublished - 23 10 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the authors.

Keywords

  • 3D stereophotogrammetry
  • craniofacial asymmetry
  • hand-predominance
  • laterality
  • school-aged children

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