ArticleDie Naturwissenschaften2026
Smoking-related variation in facial soft tissue thickness assessed by ultrasound: forensic implications for facial analysis.
Article in Die Naturwissenschaften, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFacial soft tissue thickness (FSTT) represents a key parameter in forensic facial reconstruction and human identification, reflecting both biological and behavioral influences. This pilot cross-sectional study examined the impact of body mass index, age and smoking status on FSTT in a Slovak adult population, with emphasis on sex-specific variations.
methodsA total of 246 participants (176 females, 70 males) were measured using B-mode ultrasonography across eight midline facial landmarks and eight paired bilateral landmarks. Statistical analyses included non-parametric tests, Spearman rank correlation and general linear models with BMI and age as covariates.
resultsSex-specific patterns were identified. In females, BMI was the dominant predictor, showing medium to large effects across most landmarks. Age contributed modestly to variation, particularly in the lower face. Smoking related differences were localized, rather than consistent across facial landmarks. Female conventional smokers showed lower FSTT values than non-smokers at the left fossa canina landmark (p = 0.046). In males, age showed a stronger and more consistent association with FSTT than BMI, with age-related variation most evident in midfacial and mandibular regions. Direct comparison between smokers and non-smokers in males revealed no significant differences in FSTT at any landmark. Overall smoking status was not consistently associated with FSTT.
conclusionsThe findings highlight sex specific and anatomical variability in FSTT and provide population specific data relevant for forensic facial reconstruction. Larger and more balanced samples are needed to confirm these preliminary associations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42841953What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.