Three-dimensional symmetry and parallelism of the skeletal and soft-tissue poria in patients with facial asymmetry

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the symmetry and parallelism of the skeletal and soft-tissue poria by three-dimensional (3D) computed tomographic (CT) imaging. METHODS The locations of the bilateral skeletal and soft-tissue poria in 29 patients with facial asymmetry (asymmetric group) and 29 patients without facial asymmetry (symmetric group) were measured in 3D reconstructed models of CT images by using a 3D coordinate system. The mean intergroup differences in the anteroposterior and vertical angular deviations of the poria and their anteroposterior and vertical parallelism were statistically analyzed. RESULTS The symmetric and asymmetric groups showed significant anteroposterior angular differences in both the skeletal and the soft-tissue poria (p = 0.007 and 0.037, respectively; Mann-Whitney U-test). No significant differences in the anteroposterior and vertical parallelism of the poria were noted (p ≤ 0.05; Wilcoxon signed-rank test). CONCLUSIONS In general, the skeletal poria are parallel to the soft-tissue poria. However, patients with facial asymmetry tend to have asymmetric poria.