title: Diagnosis of skeletal form on the lateral cephalogram with a finite element-based expert system.
abstract: Orthodontic diagnosis depends largely on the current methods of cephalometric analysis and categorization. It is therefore unfortunate that such analyses tend to use inappropriate metrical systems that lack a rigorous scientific basis. As a consequence, the resultant data have questionable validity, as well as being subject to observer bias. In this study, an alternative, more rigorous, approach is described. A random sample of 126 pretreatment lateral cephalograms were analyzed with the finite element method. These data were then classified to form a training set or reference data base for the subsequent objective diagnosis of new, previously unclassified cases. This new case-classification system was based on matching the new cases to similar cases within the existing training set. The degree of concordance between such computer-matched cases was then evaluated by their subsequent conventional cephalometric analyses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Dental Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Fine
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lavelle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D005103:Expert Systems; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012016:Reference Values