title: Reliability of panoramic radiographs for the assessment of mandibular elongation after distraction osteogenesis procedures.
abstract: To determine whether panoramic radiographs could be used for evaluation of changes in the vertical and horizontal dimensions following internal curvilinear mandibular distraction osteogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study included 25 patients who underwent bilateral mandibular distraction surgery. Three panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms from each patient were available: before distraction, immediately upon termination of the distraction process, and at the end of the follow-up period. The radiographs were traced by plotting Condylion, Gonion, and Menton. The linear distances between Condylion and Gonion and between Gonion and Menton were measured on each side, and the correlation was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were found between the values of the linear measurements determined by lateral cephalograms and panoramic radiographs (p ≥ 0.079), excluding one measurement. The correlation test for these radiographs showed very high, positive and statistically significant correlations, for both sides of the internal mandibular distraction (r > 0.77, p ≤ 0.0001), apart from three measurements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Panoramic radiographs, with mandibular length (Co-Go and Go-Me) measurements, can be used as an alternative to lateral cephalograms, i.e. as a reliable tool for assessing vertical and horizontal dimensional changes resulting from internal mandibular distraction achieved by a curvilinear distractor.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of MedicineGraduate School of dentistry, Rambam Health Care Campus and Technion, Orthodontic and Craniofacial Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hazan-Molina
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Molina-Hazan
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Schendel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aizenbud
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D019186:Mandibular Advancement / Q000379:methods*; D019857:Osteogenesis, Distraction; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult