A researcher from the University of Missouri School of Medicine has received a nearly $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to build a database and develop new 3D craniofacial growth models and clinical growth charts.
Pediatricians and parents use growth charts to track a child’s growth and predict when they may experience a growth spurt, based on individual history and population data. If the child has a specific anomaly or trait, the growth charts can also predict when it may develop and help determine the best time for treating the trait.
“Anomalies of the skull and face are among the most common birth defects, and correcting them often requires multiple surgeries during childhood,” said Richard J. Sherwood, the grant recipient. “Current growth charts are based on 2D images, instead of 3D scans. Having updated charts, based on more accurate images, will not only improve and optimize outcomes but also reduce the treatment cost and duration.”
The research will produce 40,000 3D images that will then be used to generate updated growth charts. They will document craniofacial changes from childhood to young adulthood and will account for variations based on dental and facial structure, age and sex.
“My team and I hope to develop a comprehensive tool that clinicians can use for their patients,” Sherwood said. “Doctors can input data and look at the growth charts of specific anatomy, or the average growth of a child with a specific genetic trait.”
Growth charts will be constructed based on data from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. CBCT is most often used in the dentist’s office to capture the face’s internal structure. The machine swirls around the patient, moving a cone-shaped x-ray beam to take precise, 3D images.
“The human face has functions ranging from subtle communication – like a smile or the raising of an eyebrow – to life-sustaining activities such as eating and breathing,” Sherwood said. “Even minor malformations can have a significant impact on the psychological well-being of a growing child. The primary goal of our research is to optimize timing of care so that the minimum amount of treatment achieves the maximum benefit for each patient.”
Richard J. Sherwood, PhD, Fellow AAAS is a professor of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences and Orthopaedic Surgery. He is the Director of the Craniofacial Research Center and currently leads the Craniofacial Growth Consortium Study (CGCS), which is a large multi-site effort to establish new methods of growth prediction models of the human craniofacial complex.
