Capabilities of Cephalometric Methods to Study X-rays in Three-Dimensional Space (Review)

To assess the patient’s maxillofacial area (MFA) morphology of the patient, an orthodontist needs to measure on X-ray images in various views, photos of the face, gypsum or digital models of the jaws. A variety of techniques makes diagnosis time-consuming and requires a lot of equipment; therefore, the issue of searching for a technology for multifunctional craniometric analysis is relevant. Increasingly, the data on diagnostics based on three-dimensional X-ray images are found in the literature, it being the most informative method of examining patients. The aim of the study was a systematic review of modern methods of three-dimensional cephalometric analysis, and the assessment of their efficiency. The scientific papers describing modern diagnostic methods of MFA in dental practice were searched in databases PubMed, Web of Science, eLIBRARY.RU, as well as in a searching system Google Scholar by the following key words: three-dimensional cephalometry, three-dimensional cephalometric analysis, orthodontics, asymmetric deformities, maxillofacial anomalies, 3D cephalometry, CBCT. The literature analysis showed many methods of cephalometric analysis described as three-dimensional to use two-dimensional reformates for measurements. True three-dimensional methods are not applicable for practical purposes due to the fragmentary nature of the studies. There is the disunity in choosing landmarks and supporting planes that makes the diagnosis difficult and costly. The major issue is the lack of uniform standards for tree-dimensional measurements of anatomical structures of the skull, and the data revealed can be compared to them. In this regard, the use of artificial neuron networks and in-depth study technologies to process three-dimensional images and determining standard indicators appear to be promising. © 2024, Privolzhsky Research Medical University. All rights reserved.