Prediction of frontal soft tissue changes after mandibular surgery in facial asymmetry individuals / 대한치과교정학회지

OBJECTIVE: To aid the development of a frontal image simulating program, we evaluated the soft tissue frontal changes in relationship to movement of hard tissue with orthognathic surgery of facial asymmetry patients. METHODS: Preoperative and postoperative frontal cephalograms and frontal view photographs of 45 mandibular surgery patients with facial asymmetry were obtained in a standardized manner. Vertical and horizontal changes of hard tissue and soft tissue were measured from cephalograms and photographs, respectively. Soft tissue change in result to hard tissue change was then analyzed. RESULTS: Both vertical and horizontal correlation analysis showed a weak relationship between the changes. Hard tissue points that were picked for 1:1 mean ratio with soft tissue points did not show any significant relevance. For each soft tissue change, regressive equation was formulated by stepwise multiple regression analysis, and the equation for soft tissue Menton was most reliable in predicting changes. Both vertical and horizontal hard tissue changes were used together in prediction of vertical or horizontal soft tissue change. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that computerized image simulation using regression analysis may be of help for prediction of soft tissue change, while 1:1 mean ratio method is not useful.

Three-dimensional CT image study on the correction of gonial angle width enlarged on frontal cephalogram / 대한치과교정학회지

Enlargement is an inherent property of X-rays which occurs when straight lines diverge from small a focal spot. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the validity of the correction of gonial angle width enlarged on frontal cephalogram, using frontal and lateral cephalograms taken orthogonally from each other. In 40 adult individuals, frontal and lateral cephalograms were taken at a 90 degrees angle using the Head Posture Aligner. The angle width was measured on the frontal cephalogram and subsequently, the corrected angle width was calculated using the magnification rate of two cephalograms. Measured and corrected angle widths were compared with the measurement from the 3D CT image. The measurement on the frontal cephalogram showed a 9.10 mm of enlargement on average, ranging from 7.92 to 11.31 mm. Corrected angle width measurement showed a 0.14 mm difference with the 3D CT image measurement, which was not statistically significant. The results of the study indicate that actual angle width can be approached through calculation using frontal and lateral cephalograms taken orthogonally with the help of the Head Posture Aligner. The study also showed that the magnitude of correction error did not show a significant correlation with the amount of menton deviation, and it suggests that the present correction method is valid even in individuals with severe facial asymmetry.