Rj. Radlanski et al., 4D-computerized visualisation of human craniofacial skeletal growth and ofthe development of the dentition, ANN ANATOMY, 181(1), 1999, pp. 3-8
The understanding of growth and developmental changes can be improved when
shapes and changes in size, proportion, and relationships are visualized in
3 dimensions and at different stages. This applies particularly to craniof
acial skeletal growth and the development of the dentition. For that purpos
e 3D-data were collected from prenatal human heads ranging from 18 up to 27
5 mm CRL and from a collection of macerated fetal and postnatal skulls. Com
puter-aided graphical reconstructions were obtained from histological seria
l sections of embryonic and early fetal specimens. Proportional changes in
the growing skull were recorded by means of radiological and cephalometric
evaluation. In addition, computed tomography was applied to fetal and postn
atal skulls. Furthermore, the prenatal and postnatal development of the den
tition was digitized. To that end 3D-polygone sets of these data were read
into a workstation computer and animated by means of the software Soft Imag
e (Microsoft). This comprehensive 4D insight into growth facilitates the un
derstanding and teaching of normal and abnormal development.