Assessment of Facial Symmetry After Facial Reconstruction Using Three-dimensional Stereophotogrammetry (SymFACE)

November 17, 2025 updated by: Assistance Publique Hopitaux De Marseille

Development, Validation and Clinical Application of a Method for Quantitative 3D Assessment of Facial Symmetry After Facial Reconstruction Using Three-dimensional Stereophotogrammetry

Facial reconstruction follows removal of a malignant or benign tumor of the oral cavity or face, complex facial trauma, or resection of osteonecrosis of the jaws. It's a challenge that aims to restore not only the functions of the face, but also its aesthetics, which is just as crucial. A poor aesthetic result after facial reconstruction has a serious impact on patient's lives. To develop more personalized surgery, and to anticipate and correct poor results in the future, it is essential to better understand the factors associated with poor aesthetic results in this type of surgery, as well as their impact on the patient's life.

This means correctly assessing the aesthetic outcome of this surgery. Today, however, aesthetic evaluation criteria remain inadequate. A number of criteria are involved in facial attractiveness, and facial symmetry is a key factor. It is generally accepted that severe facial asymmetries considerably diminish facial attractiveness. Currently, aesthetic evaluation criteria (particularly symmetry) are based primarily on the subjective perception of the surgeon or patient. However, there is a need to be able to measure facial symmetry objectively.

Methods for assessing symmetry rely on the placement of anatomical landmarks and the calculation of Euclidean distance, which involves locating homologous landmarks on each side of the face and comparing the length ratios of all possible lines connecting the landmarks on each side. However, these techniques are based on measurements often on two-dimensional (2D) photographs and do not take into account the three-dimensional nature of the face. Methods for three-dimensional analysis of facial symmetry have been developed based on three-dimensional CT reconstructions. However, this technique implies the use of an irradiating imaging technique, not systematically indicated at a distance from surgery.

This study aims to validate a method for analyzing facial symmetry using three-dimensional stereophotogrammetry, to identify risk factors for facial asymmetry in patients who have undergone facial reconstruction, and to assess the impact of facial asymmetry on patients' quality of life.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
50

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • France
      • Marseille, France, 13005
        • Recruiting
        • assistance publique - hôpitaux de Marseille
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Nicolas GRAILLON, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients who underwent facial reconstruction, returning for consultation 1 year post-surgery.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male or female, 18 years of age or older,
  • Patient having given non-opposition for participation in this study,
  • Reconstruction of the lower or middle third of the face by pedicled flap or microanastomosed free flap following excision of a benign or malignant tumor of the oral cavity or face, osteonecrosis of the jaws, loss of facial traumatic substance,
  • Surgery and routine follow-up performed in the 3 departments (maxillofacial surgery, ENT, plastic and reconstructive surgery) of the PROMOD cluster at Marseille's CHU Conception

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of reconstruction of the lower or middle third of the face other than that being evaluated at one year for this study,
  • Subjects covered by articles L1121-5 to 1121-8 of the French Public Health Code (minors, adults under guardianship, patients deprived of their liberty, pregnant or breast-feeding women),
  • Persons who cannot read and understand the French language well enough to be able to give their non-opposition to participating in the research.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Facial reconstruction patients
Reconstruction of the lower or middle third of the face using a pedicled flap or microanastomosed free flap following excision of a benign or malignant tumor of the oral cavity or face, osteonecrosis of the jaws, or traumatic loss of facial substance
Device: Three-dimensional stereophotogrammetry
Three stereoscopic photographs
Other: Questionnaires
  • SF-36 quality of life scale for general health inquiry
  • Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
  • Self-perception scale

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Correlation coefficient between root mean square deviation (RMSE) score and surgeon's assessment score
Time Frame: Day 1
Day 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Intraclass Correlation Coefficient to assess intra-operator reproducibility
Time Frame: Day 1
Day 1
Intraclass Correlation Coefficient to assess inter-operator reproducibility
Time Frame: Day 1
Day 1
Demographic factors associated with objective facial asymmetry one year after facial reconstruction surgery
Time Frame: Day 1
Day 1
Clinical factors associated with objective facial asymmetry one year after facial reconstruction surgery
Time Frame: Day 1
Day 1
Therapeutic factors associated with objective facial asymmetry one year after facial reconstruction surgery
Time Frame: Day 1
Day 1
Relationship between objective measurement of facial asymmetry and the patient's subjective assessment of perception (satisfaction and body image)
Time Frame: Day 1
The patient perception score is assessed by a scale constructed by the investigative team.
Day 1
Relationship between objective measurement of facial asymmetry and the patient's quality of life
Time Frame: Day 1
The patient quality of life score is assessed by the French-validated SF-36 quality of life scale for general health inquiry" (36 items).
Day 1
Relationship between objective measurement of facial asymmetry and patient self-esteem
Time Frame: Day 1
The patient self-esteem score is assessed by the French-validated Rosenberg self-esteem scale (10 items).
Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Assistance Publique Hopitaux De Marseille

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Fondation des Gueules Cassées

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Director: CREMIEUX François, AP-HM

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 3, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 30, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 30, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 2, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 20, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 17, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • RCAPHM23_0384
  • ID RCB (Other Identifier: 2026-A01760-51)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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