Work

Profile line accuracy in cephalometric radiographs

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: This study investigates the accuracy of facial soft-tissue profile lines in lateral cephalometric radiographs by comparing them to true profile lines derived from 3-dimensional photographs. METHODS: This prospective methodological study was performed on preexisting records of 100 orthodontic patients. The true profiles were obtained by defining the true midsagittal plane through best-fit approximation of mirrored 3-dimensional surface models. Two curves were drawn on each profile image, and landmarks and sliding semilandmarks were placed on them. This resulted in 2 profile landmark configurations per patient, which were superimposed using Procrustes superimposition. The Procrustes distances between corresponding landmarks were used as a metric to assess the accuracy of the cephalometric profile line, as compared with the true reference. RESULTS: On average, there were small statistically significant differences between the cephalometric and the actual profile lines (100,000 permutations; P = 0.031; median interlandmark distance, 0.84 mm). However, when assessing individual patients, the cephalometric profile line deviated significantly from the true profile, with 40% of the distances between corresponding landmarks being >1 mm and 10% being >2 mm. There were no differences between the sexes or between younger and older patients (aged 8.0-12.5 vs 12.5-55.0 years). However, there were small differences between 2 x-ray devices (median, 0.18 mm; P <0.001), which often exceeded 1 mm at the soft-tissue nasion area, probably because of the cephalostat. CONCLUSIONS: On average, the lateral cephalometric radiographs might provide an adequate representation of the facial profile, but when individual patients are considered, there is often a clinically significant error. Thus, lateral cephalograms should be used with caution to evaluate the facial soft-tissue profile.

Source: American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

DOI: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2025.02.009

Authors: Marie-Laure Arn, Jasmina Opacic, Georgios Kanavakis, Demetrios Halazonetis, Nikolaos Gkantidis

Institutions: University of Bern, University of Basel, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Language: English

Topic: Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

Subfield: Orthodontics

Field: Dentistry

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,070