Measurements of Breasts of Young West African Females: A Guideline in Anatomical Landmarks for Adolescent Breast Surgery

Abstract

The "normal values" for adolescent youthful breasts differ slightly from previous reports on desired adult breast outcomes. It is hoped that these values would serve as a baseline in aesthetic breast surgeries, especially in reduction mammaplasty in young females.

Image analysis software versus direct anthropometry for breast measurements

“…Direct measurements in the thoracic region may be of relative accuracy due to the contour of the body (i.e., curves, prominences and depressions) and movements of the thoracic wall during breathing, which may vary in the same individual at different moments 7,14 . In order to minimize the effects of breathing, Agbenorku et al 18 proposed the use the lowest value of two successive measurements taken with a tape measure in the breast region. In this way, the obtained measurements are closer to actual body dimensions.…”

Cadaveric Study of Breast Measurements during Augmentation with Implants

“…Fig. Agbenorku et al 22 found a similar result for the sternal notch-to-nipple distance. curve demonstrating the increase in areolar diameter (in centimeters) per 100-ml increase in implant volume in six different procedures: subglandular pocket using a round implant (blue line); subglandular pocket using a contoured implant (red line); submuscular pocket creation with 100 percent release of the pectoralis major inferior muscle origin using a round implant (orange line); submuscular pocket with 100 percent release of the pectoralis major inferior muscle origin using a contoured implant (green line); submuscular pocket creation with 50 percent release of the pectoralis major inferior muscle origin using a round implant (black line); and submuscular pocket with 100 percent release of the pectoralis major inferior muscle origin and 30 percent release of the pectoralis major medial muscle origin using a round implant (purple line).…”

“…7. 21,22 Westreich proposed a protocol for breast measurement that helped predict the ideal breast volume, but it did not predict changes in nipple position in the setting of augmentation. Fig.…”

The notion of the ideal breast and its variability: Reviewing the difficulty of perceiving beauty through defined margins

“…Agbenorku et al (2010) determined statistical means for breast landmarks through analysis of 438 West African females . They found that the mean oblique distances from the xiphoid to the left and right nipples is 10.94 and 10.84 cm, the average nipple displacement from the suprasternal notch to the left and right nipples to their inframammary crease was 9.36 and 9.21 cm, and the average asymmetrical length difference along the vertical midline between the left and right breast was 1.32 cm for 234 of the 438 subjects.…”