“ART OF FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION: BRINGING FACES BACK TO THE FORGOTTEN”

    AUTHOR: Deepika Sharma, B. Sc in Forensic Science, Sem II, Usha Martin University, Ranchi.

When all other techniques fail, forensic facial reconstruction can be used to identify missing human remains. In this article, we aim to take a look at the numerous techniques of facial reconstruction that have been reported in the literature. Facial reconstruction can be done using a variety of methods, from two-dimensional sketches to three-dimensional plaster models. The degree of error previously experienced has decreased because of the development of a quick, effective, and affordable computerized 3D forensic face reconstruction approach made possible by advancements in 3D technology. Although there are a number of hand facial reconstruction techniques, the Manchester combination technique is said to be the most effective and precise technique for positively identifying a person. Acknowledgment enables the concerned governmental organizations to create a list to identify potential victims.

In the case where a skull is accidentally found in a garden, forest, etc., a positive identification is necessary. Apart from being crucial for legal reasons, this helps the family attain closure and helps them get over their loss. In certain situations, normal identification techniques such as radiography, DNA analysis, and inspection of dental records cannot be employed or have proven useless for various reasons, including insufficient details, poor state of the remains, expense, etc. One crucial forensic technique that can aid in face recognition of the skull and ultimately result in a person's positive identification is forensic facial reconstruction.

Scientific techniques and artistic talent are combined in forensic facial reconstruction. It can be applied to the reconstruction of soft tissues on the skull to create an image of a person for the purpose of identifying and recognizing them. According to some reviewers, forensic facial reconstruction is just a technique for approximating facial features—different facial patterns can be identified from a single skull. Conversely, other researchers used the term "facial reconstruction" because they believed that since each skull can only create one face, positive identification of an individual would result.

Both forensic science and archaeology make use of forensic facial reconstruction. This technique is employed in forensic science to identify a person when conventional identification methods are ineffective. It is used in archaeology to identify the faces of historical figures, bone remnants, embalmed bodies, etc.

The face has a variety of unique features, making it crucial for identifying and recognizing an individual. After discovering an unidentified dead body, a facial picture is taken. Sometimes, this image is digitally altered to make it appropriate for the witness to identify or for the newspaper to publish legal information that could eventually help identify the corpse. The victim's face is the only body part that cannot be seen for identification; relatives, friends, or acquaintances must visually identify the victim. A dead body may occasionally be unidentifiable because its face has been destroyed by animals, physically attacked, or has decayed as a result of environmental conditions. There are two types of reconstruction techniques: two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) methods. They are carried out and examined manually or with the aid of special software. The Anatomical, Anthropometrical and Combination Manchester methods—developed by Gerasimov, Krogman, and Neave, respectively—are the three 3D manual approaches used in forensic facial reconstruction.

HISTORY

Wilheim His, a German anatomist, completed the first facial reconstruction in 1895. The German composer Johann Sebastein Bach's face was recreated by him. German scientist and anatomist Welcker evaluated the depth of penetration of a short surgical blade he placed into numerous anthropometric landmarks on the face in order to establish the average thickness of tissue depth from studying cadavers. The "Welcker Facial Reconstruction Technique" is the name given to this. Welcker used the same method to rebuild Schiller, Kant, and Dant's faces. Wilheim further altered this method in the late 1880s and early 1890s by substituting a narrow, sharp needle with a tiny bit of rubber at the tip for a larger blade. Rapid, effective, and economical computerized software for facial reconstruction was created as 3D technology advanced. The software replicates the process of manually reconstructing a face. In the 1980s, London College University conducted the first studies on computerized reconstruction, utilizing a video camera and a laser-like scanner to do a cranial reconstruction technique. After the information was gathered, a library of "Living subject" face surfaces was constructed.

Two-dimensional reconstruction: This method uses estimates of the depth of soft tissues to reconstruct a face from the skull. Karen Taylor created this technique for the first time in Austin, Texas, in the 1980s. This technique, which is based on antemortem photos and the skull that has to be rebuilt, calls for collaboration between a forensic anthropologist and an artist to complete the facial reconstruction. The identification of the deceased from skeletal remains is another application for this technique.These days, a variety of computer software applications, such as FACES (Forensic Anthropology Computer Enhancement System) and CARESTM or CARES (Computer Assisted Recovery Enhancement System), may swiftly provide 2D reconstruction that can be altered and modified. They create an electronically modified version of the image by taking and digitizing radiographs, pictures, and images of skulls. These applications generate more general images and simplify the reconstruction process.

Three-dimensional manual reconstruction: Forensic anthropologists and artists are also required for this technique. When facial reconstruction is done manually, the victim's skull is directly covered with clay, plastic, or wax, or, more frequently, a copy of the skull that needs to be identified. Since it also uses tissue depth markers of certain lengths to depict various soft tissue depths, this method is comparable to two-dimensional systems. The markings are placed into tiny holes drilled into the skull cast at particular landmarks or important locations. Using scanned and stock photos, computer software creates reconstruction in the computerized approach.

 METHODS OF MANUAL 3D CONSTRUCTION: 

1.Krogman created the Anthropometerical American Method, often known as the Tissue Depth Method, in 1946. Soft tissue depth data is taken into consideration with this procedure. When it came to rebuilding, police enforcement agencies frequently employed this technique. With the use of ultrasonography, X-rays, or needles, precise measurements were made. These days, this approach is not suggested because it requires highly qualified workers to record facial muscles in an appropriate anatomical manner.

2.The Anatomical Russian Method was created in 1971 by Gerasimov. Here, face muscles were used in their anatomical positions not taking into consideration soft tissue depth data. Using this technique, the skull was reconstructed layer by layer by molding muscles, glands, and cartilage. These days, this method is not frequently used.

3. Combination Manchester Method/British Method: Neave created this technique in 1977, and it is currently the most widely used for facial reconstruction. This method takes into account the thickness of the soft tissues as well as the muscles of the face. Facial tissue pegs or markers are added to the skull after the cranium and mandible have been articulated and it has been mounted on an adjustable stand in the Frankfort Horizontal plane. These can be inserted directly onto the skull or into holes that have been previously drilled on the cast at a 90-degree angle using a 3mm drill bit. The mean tissue depth at each anatomical site is represented by the length of the pegs. The individual's age, gender, build, and other factors all affect the depth of their face tissue. The modeling material is used to design the masticatory and facial expression muscles, which are then positioned according to where they originate and insert on the skull. The underlying hard tissues dictate the size and structure of different muscle groups. The orbits are filled with 25 mm-diameter plastic eyeballs made of plaster or implants. A tangent drawn from the mid supraorbital margin to the mid infraorbital margins hits the iris as a result of the prosthetic eye balls' placement within the orbit. The outer canthus are positioned 4 mm medial to the malar tubercle, while the inner canthus are positioned 2 mm lateral to the lacrimal crest.

4. Computerized 3D Forensic Facial Reconstruction: As 3D technology advanced, a quick, practical, and economical computer-assisted forensic facial reconstruction technique was created. Using manual clay model procedures, the operator utilized 3D digital models in this way. While some computerized systems used virtual sculpture with haptic feedback (Phantom DesktopTM Haptic Device; Sensable Technologies), others used 3D animation software (Free Form Modelling PlusTM; Sensable Technologies, Wilmington, MA) to build the face onto the skull. In addition to being able to feel the surface of the skull during analysis, haptic feedback systems can provide crucial skeletal information for facial reconstruction, such as the location of the eye, the strength of the muscle connection, and the location of the malar tubercle. However, this system necessitates knowledge of both computer modeling and anthropology. 

Reconstruction can be repeated at any time if necessary using the quick, non-invasive, and efficient near for fforensic facial reconstruction. This method is employed for archaeological study as well as for the identification of individuals from skeletal remains. Thus, it becomes easier and more defined for family members and associates to identify the person visually. Numerous techniques are employed for the conventional manual approach, but the Combination Manchester Method has been determined to be the most effective and exact method for positively identifying an individual. Conversely, manual procedures require a lot of labor. The manual technique of facial reconstruction can likewise be replicated by computerized forensic facial reconstruction. Comparing the computerized remodeling of lost individuals to the manual procedure, which is much more difficult.

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