Evaluation of Facial Asymmetry Determined by Linear Measurements According to Hand Preference and Gender

Abstract

IntroductionFacial asymmetry is a commonly observed phenomenon in human anatomy, with individuals displaying subtle variations between the left and right sides of their face. This study aimed to evaluate facial asymmetry in relation to hand preference and gender.Material and MethodsAnthropometric facial measurements were conducted on 147 female and 150 male volunteers aged 19-42 years. Standard facial photographs taken from the front in the Frankfort horizontal plane were used to digitally perform 16 linear measurements (8 on the right side and 8 on the left side). All measurements were performed using the AutoCAD program. An asymmetry index was calculated using the (R-L)(R+L)x100. The significance of differences between means was tested to evaluate the index values according to sex and hand preference.ResultsBased on the comparison of asymmetry index values between 221 right-handed and 76 left-handed individuals, no statistically significant differences were found across all eight indices. Multiple regression analysis further confirmed that there was no significant relationship between the asymmetry index values and either gender or hand preference.ConclusionThis study contributes important evidence to the field, showing that facial asymmetry is generally independent of gender and hand preference, and that minor asymmetries are a natural part of human anatomy. Unlike earlier studies that implied stronger connections between handedness or sex and asymmetry, this research emphasizes that facial asymmetry is a stable characteristic across diverse groups.Level of Evidence IVThis journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.