The Reliability Of Landmark Identification On Direct Digital Versus Conventional Cephalometric Radiograph

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of landmark identification on direct digital and conventional cephalometric radiolographs. In addition, an evaluation of precision and the distribution of landmark identification error at each cephalometric landmark was undertaken.Method 12 human skulls were selected and 13 landmarks were recorded on the direct digital and the conventional cephalometric radiolographs obtained from the 12 humans skulls in a standardized fashion. Recordings were transferred into standardized coordinate systems and evaluated separately for each coordinate.Results All the mean errors made by film tracing were larger than those made by digital identification except for P and Or along the y-axis. Mean differences were below 1mm. In both film and digital methods, UI was the most accurately identified landmarks, and Ba was the least. The overall difference between errors made by film and digital identification of all landmarks considered as a whole were not statistically significant(P > 0. 05).Conclusions 1. The result of the study indicate similar accuracy in landmark identification using both direct digital images as well as conventional cephalometric head film.2. The position of a landmark was the important factor that would effect the accuracy of landmark identification.3. Each landmark has a specific scatter pattern, the magnitude and distribution of which must be taken into consideration when choosing landmarks for use in cephalometric analysis, or when interpreting these analysis for diagnostic or treatment...