Comparison Between Digital and Ordinary Methods in Analyzing Cephalometric Radiographic Images

Diagnosis and treatment planning in orthodontic and orthognathic surgery is greatly related to the results of cephalometric analysis report. Manual analysis is time taking and if the precision and accuracy of this technique can be achieved by digital method, time is saved considerably. On the other hand digital programs have fewer errors compared to manual methods done by human. Any mistake in the process of analysis can lead to wrong diagnosis and treatment planning and finally treatment failure. The main aim of this study was to compare the linear and angular measures between the two methods, digital and manual. No significant difference between these measures in the two methods will result in that digital method can be used instead of manual in order to save time. This study was conducted on 40 cephalometric images taken from a radiology clinic. The samples were analyzed by computer after determining key points. Romexis® (planmeca Romexis® cephalometric analysis) software was used for computer analysis. The samples were then printed and analyzed manually. At last all the measures obtained from 11 different landmarks by two observers were compared by interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for reliability. The results of this study showed that the obtained data was 100 percent reliable. On the other hand no significant difference was observed in each of the evaluated landmarks between two methods. It seems that cephalometric analysis software is not only reliable but also saves time and reduces manual analysis errors.