CRANIOMETRIC LANDMARKS DEFINITIONS FROM MULTIPLANAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGES (MRI) REGARDING FORENSIC FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION

Abstract

Facial reconstruction can be a useful tool in the process of medico-legal identification. The method has presented a continuous evolution through the years, becoming more accurate. Its reliability is, in part, due to the facial soft tissues measurements that are applied to reconstruct a face from a skull. The aim of this study was investigating and knowing data about the correct localization and definitions of 22 craniometric landmarks established in the literature from anatomical structures and adapt them to images obtained from digital exams of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), allowing the future measurements of cranio-facial soft tissues thickness of living Brazilians with high precision and reliability. It was evidenced the necessity of changing the localization methods of bone anatomical references and their soft tissues correspondents, especially in three landmarks, where detailed knowledge about dental anatomy is required. The establishment of these definitions will give support to the setting of an anthropomorphic table containing the facial soft tissues thickness of Brazilians regarding their utilization in forensic facial reconstruction, to fill this gap in the Brazilian medico-legal knowledge.