| The purpose of this study was to compare examiner reliability of cephalometric measurements from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and conventional digital cephalograms. Three imaging modalities were compared: CBCT using maximum intensity projection and ray-sum algorithms, and conventional digital cephalograms. Blinded examiners were calibrated, and intra- and inter-examiner reliability were assessed. Data were collected on a convenience sample of seven subjects. Examiners obtained linear and angular measures on each of the subjects' images, and rater consistency among the three methods were assessed using repeated measures analysis of variance of intraclass correlation coefficient ratios.;A statistically significantly greater level of consistency for linear measurements was seen with the CBCT images. For the conventional digital images, linear measurements showed less consistency than angular measurements. This statistical significance unlikely correlates to a clinical significance. For orthodontic diagnosis, treatment planning, and treatment evaluation, CBCT generated cephalograms are equally effective to conventional digital cephalograms. |
