Reliability and reproducibility of three-dimensional cephalometric landmarks using CBCT: a systematic review

Objective : The aim of this study was to review the reliability and reproducibility of 3D-CBCT (cone beam computed tomography) cephalometric landmark identification. Methods : Electronic databases (Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science) were searched for papers published from 1998 to October 2014. Specific strategies were developed for each database, with the guidance of a librarian. Two reviewers independently analyzed the titles and abstracts for inclusion. The articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected for full-text reading, and the selected articles went through methodological quality evaluation. After the exclusion of repeated articles, the titles of the remaining ones were read and 1,328 of them were excluded. The abstracts of 173 articles were read, of which 43 were selected, read in full and submitted to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Fourteen articles or studies with reliable methodology and reproducibility remained. The data were collected, organized into figures and analyzed for determination of the reliability and reproducibility of the three-dimensional cephalometric landmarks. Results : Overall, the landmarks on the median sagittal line and dental landmarks had the highest reliability, while the landmarks on the condyle, porion and the orbitale presented lower levels of reliability. Point S must be marked in the multiplanar views associated with visualization in 3D reconstruction. Further studies are necessary for evaluating soft tissue landmarks

Changes in the midpalatal and pterygopalatine sutures induced by micro-implant-supported skeletal expander, analyzed with a novel 3D method based on CBCT imaging

Abstract Background Mini-implant-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) appliances have been developed with the aim to enhance the orthopedic effect induced by rapid maxillary expansion (RME). Maxillary Skeletal Expander (MSE) is a particular type of MARPE appliance characterized by the presence of four mini-implants positioned in the posterior part of the palate with bi-cortical engagement. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the MSE effects on the midpalatal and pterygopalatine sutures in late adolescents, using high-resolution CBCT. Specific aims are to define the magnitude and sagittal parallelism of midpalatal suture opening, to measure the extent of transverse asymmetry of split, and to illustrate the possibility of splitting the pterygopalatine suture. Methods Fifteen subjects (mean age of 17.2 years; range, 13.9–26.2 years) were treated with MSE. Pre- and post-treatment CBCT exams were taken and superimposed. A novel methodology based on three new reference planes was utilized to analyze the sutural changes. Parameters were compared from pre- to post-treatment and between genders non-parametrically using the Wilcoxon sign rank test. For the frequency of openings in the lower part of the pterygopalatine suture, the Fisher’s exact test was used. Results Regarding the magnitude of midpalatal suture opening, the split at anterior nasal spine (ANS) and at posterior nasal spine (PNS) was 4.8 and 4.3 mm, respectively. The amount of split at PNS was 90% of that at ANS, showing that the opening of the midpalatal suture was almost perfectly parallel antero-posteriorly. On average, one half of the anterior nasal spine (ANS) moved more than the contralateral one by 1.1 mm. Openings between the lateral and medial plates of the pterygoid process were detectable in 53% of the sutures (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the magnitude and frequency of suture opening between males and females. Correlation between age and suture opening was negligible (R 2 range, 0.3–4.2%). Conclusions Midpalatal suture was successfully split by MSE in late adolescents, and the opening was almost perfectly parallel in a sagittal direction. Regarding the extent of transverse asymmetry of the split, on average one half of ANS moved more than the contralateral one by 1.1 mm. Pterygopalatine suture was split in its lower region by MSE, as the pyramidal process was pulled out from the pterygoid process. Patient gender and age had a negligible influence on suture opening for the age group considered in the study