Mandibular shape prediction using cephalometric analysis: applications in craniofacial analysis, forensic anthropology and archaeological reconstruction

Abstract

Background The human mandible is variable in shape, size and position and any deviation from normal can affect the facial appearance and dental occlusion. Objectives The objectives of this study were to determine whether the Sassouni cephalometric analysis could help predict two-dimensional mandibular shape in humans using cephalometric planes and landmarks. Materials and methods A retrospective computerised analysis of 100 lateral cephalometric radiographs taken at Kingston Hospital Orthodontic Department was carried out. Results Results showed that the Euclidean straight-line mean difference between the estimated position of gonion and traced position of gonion was 7.89 mm and the Euclidean straight-line mean difference between the estimated position of pogonion and the traced position of pogonion was 11.15 mm. The length of the anterior cranial base as measured by sella-nasion was positively correlated with the length of the mandibular body gonion-menton, r = 0.381 and regression analysis showed the length of the anterior cranial base sella-nasion could be predictive of the length of the mandibular body gonion-menton by the equation 22.65 + 0.5426x, where x = length of the anterior cranial base (SN). There was a significant association with convex shaped palates and oblique shaped mandibles, p = 0.0004. Conclusions The method described in this study can be used to help estimate the position of cephalometric points gonion and pogonion and thereby sagittal mandibular length. This method is more accurate in skeletal class I cases and therefore has potential applications in craniofacial anthropology and the ‘missing mandible’ problem in forensic and archaeological reconstruction.

Evaluation of Maxillary and Mandibular Growth Pattern Based on Cervical Vertebral Maturation in Japanese

“…Identifying the growth spurt of maxilla and mandible is important for orthodontic treatment during the growth period. However, it is considered difficult to predict because of the various differences resulting from the growth spurt of height 10 . At present, carpal roentgens are regarded as the gold standard to assess bone maturation 9 .…”

“…At present, carpal roentgens are regarded as the gold standard to assess bone maturation 9 . In fact, there are several reports on the correlation between the ages determined using carpal bones and the cervical spine 10,[15][16][17] , while the British Orthodontic Society stated that there are uncertainty using carpal radiography in predicting patient's adolescent growth spurt 17 . Lateral cephalometric radiographs are indispensable for clinical orthodontic treatment planning and are often taken at the time of the first visit.…”

“…All lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken in accordance with international standards. ANS-PNS was measured as an evaluation of the horizontal diameter of the maxilla , Ar-Go was measured as an evaluation of the vertical diameter of the mandible, and Go-Pog was measured as an evaluation of the horizontal diameter of the mandible 9,10,31 . The WinCeph ver.9 (Rise Corp., Tokyo, Japan) software was used to perform the measurements.…”

“…Previous research has reported that CVM correlates with carpal bone age assessment and is also suitable for mandibular growth assessment. The size of the mandibular bone and timing of growth are important to achieve good intermaxillary relationships in orthodontic treatment 9,10 . However, to the best of our knowledge, only a few previous reports have investigated the growth of maxilla and mandible [11][12][13][14] in the Japanese population with an unclarified growth pattern.…”

Evaluation of maxillary and mandibular growth patterns with cephalometric analysis based on cervical vertebral maturation: A Japanese cross-sectional study

“…Previous research has reported that CVM correlates with carpal bone age assessment and is also suitable for mandibular growth assessment. The mandibular bone’s size and timing of growth are important to achieve good intermaxillary relationships in orthodontic treatment [ 9 , 10 ]. However, to the best of our knowledge, only a few previous reports have investigated the growth of maxilla and mandible [ 11 – 14 ] in the Japanese population with an unclarified growth pattern.…”