Orientation-sella-nasion or Frankfort horizontal.

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Orthodontics
• Cephalometrics

Background:

• Cephalometric analysis relies on reference lines for orientation.
• The choice between the Frankfort horizontal plane (FH) and the sella-nasion (SN) line has been a subject of debate.

Purpose of the Study:

• To resolve the controversy regarding the most appropriate cephalometric reference line.
• To compare the Frankfort horizontal plane and the sella-nasion line across five key areas.

Main Methods:

• Evaluation of clinical significance, anatomical relevance, measurement accuracy, descriptive application, and growth forecasting potential.
• Comparison of FH and SN reference frames using established cephalometric measurements and studies.

Main Results:

• The Frankfort horizontal plane provides better clinical communication and anatomical relevance to facial structures.
• Measurement accuracy is comparable between FH and SN when using true porion and experienced technicians.
• FH demonstrated minimal correlation for maxilla and mandible descriptions (SNA, SNB) compared to SN.
• The Frankfort horizontal plane reference frame was consistently superior for growth forecasting.

Conclusions:

• The Frankfort horizontal plane is the preferred reference line for cephalometric analysis.
• FH offers advantages in clinical application, anatomical correlation, descriptive accuracy, and growth prediction over the sella-nasion line.