Comparison of Cephalometric Radiographs Obtained From Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Scans and Conventional Radiographs

van Vlijmen, Olivier J.C.; Bergé, Stefaan J.; Swennen, Gwen R.J.; Bronkhorst, Ewald M.; Katsaros, Christos; Kuijpers-Jagtman, Anne M.

doi:10.1016/j.joms.2008.04.025

« Previous Next »Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 67, Issue 1 , Pages 92-97, January 2009

Comparison of Cephalometric Radiographs Obtained From Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Scans and Conventional Radiographs

Olivier J.C. van Vlijmen, DDS
- 3D-Facial Imaging Research Group Nijmegen-Bruges, and Department of Orthodontics and Oral Biology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Stefaan J. Bergé, MD, DDS, PhD
- 3D-Facial Imaging Research Group Nijmegen-Bruges, and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Gwen R.J. Swennen, MD, DMD, PhD
- 3D-Facial Imaging Research Group Nijmegen-Bruges, and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Academisch Ziekenhuis Sint-Jan Autonome Verzorginginstelling, Bruges, Belgium
Ewald M. Bronkhorst, PhD, MSc
- Department of Preventive and Curative Dentistry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Christos Katsaros, DDS, DrMedDent, OdontDr, PhD
- Department of Orthodontics and Oral Biology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Anne M. Kuijpers-Jagtman, DDS, PhD, FDSRCS (Eng)
- 3D-Facial Imaging Research Group Nijmegen-Bruges, and Department of Orthodontics and Oral Biology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Kuijpers-Jagtman: Department of Orthodontics and Oral Biology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Purpose

We evaluated whether measurements on conventional cephalometric radiographs are comparable to measurements on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-constructed cephalometric radiographs taken from human skulls.

Materials and Methods

The CBCT scans and conventional cephalometric radiographs were made using 40 dry skulls. With I-Cat Vision software (Imaging Sciences International, Inc, Hatfield, PA), a cephalometric radiograph was constructed from the CBCT scan. Standard cephalometric software was used to identify landmarks, and calculate distances and angles. The same operator identified 15 landmarks on both types of cephalometric radiographs on all images 5 times with a 1-week interval.

Results

Intraobserver reliability was good for all measurements. The reproducibility of measurements on cephalometric radiographs obtained from CBCT scans was better, compared with the reproducibility of those on conventional cephalometric radiographs. There was no clinically relevant difference between measurements on conventional and constructed cephalometric radiographs.

Conclusions

Measurements on CBCT-constructed cephalometric radiographs are comparable to conventional cephalometric radiographs, and are therefore suitable for longitudinal research.