Why WITS? Why not a way beyond?

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Orthodontics
• Cephalometric analysis

Background:

• WITS appraisal is a common cephalometric parameter for maxillo-mandibular skeletal relationships.
• Its accuracy is limited by occlusal plane identification and dental variations.
• Angle ANB is frequently used alongside WITS appraisal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel extracranial reference line for assessing antero-posterior jaw relationships.
• To propose a stable and reproducible horizontal reference line (HOR) as an alternative to the occlusal plane.
• To evaluate the efficacy of this new method compared to WITS appraisal.

Main Methods:

• Recorded true vertical using a plumb line during cephalogram acquisition for 40 subjects.
• Defined a horizontal reference line (HOR) perpendicular to the true vertical.
• Measured linear distances (AH-BH) on HOR as an adjunct to angle ANB.

Main Results:

• The HOR method demonstrated a higher correlation (r = 0.8712) with angle ANB compared to WITS readings (r = 0.549).
• Linear measurements on HOR showed greater consistency and reproducibility.
• The proposed method proved simpler and more accurate than WITS appraisal.

Conclusions:

• The proposed horizontal appraisal method overcomes the limitations of the occlusal plane in WITS appraisal.
• This new method offers enhanced simplicity and accuracy for cephalometric analysis.
• It provides a reliable alternative for assessing skeletal jaw relationships.