Orthodontic analysis and treatment planning: a suite of programs for performing centroid cephalometrics

The lateral skull radiograph is essential in the diagnosis of facial dysharmony and the planning and evaluation of corrective orthodontic treatment. The classical cephalometric analysis of the lateral radiograph involves the construction of lines and planes based on anatomical landmarks to form a reference system. A new approach to cephalometric measurement based on centres of area (i.e. centroids) has recently been developed. A suite of programs is described here for performing various types of centroid analysis ranging from a simple analysis of facial and cranial segments to template matching of cyclical curves. Sample runs are presented. Many of the programs are data-driven which means that they can be readily adapted to new situations. The system is currently being re-written to run in a more standardized environment.