Performance of a Convolutional Neural Network- Based Artificial Intelligence Algorithm for Automatic Cephalometric...

The aim of this study is to develop an artificial intelligence model to detect cephalometric landmark automatically en- abling the automatic analysis of cephalometric radiographs which have a very important place in dental practice and is used routinely in the diagnosis and treatment of dental and skeletal disorders.

In this study, 1620 lateral cephalograms were obtained and 21 landmarks were included. The coordinates of all landmarks in the 1620 films were obtained to establish a labeled data set: 1360 were used as a training set, 140 as a validation set, and 180 as a testing set. A convolutional neural network-based artificial intelligence algorithm for automatic cephalometric landmark detection was developed. Mean radial error and success detection rate within the range of 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm were used to eval- uate the performance of the model.

Presented artificial intelligence system (CranioCatch, Eskişehir, Turkey) could detect 21 anatomic landmarks in a lateral ceph- alometric radiograph. The highest success detection rate scores of 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm were obtained from the sella point as 98.3, 99.4, 99.4, and 99.4, respectively. The mean radial error ± standard deviation value of the sella point was found as 0.616 ± 0.43. The lowest success detection rate scores of 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm were obtained from the Gonion point as 48.3, 62.8, 73.9, and 87.2, respectively. The mean radial error ± standard deviation value of Gonion point was found as 8.304 ± 2.98.

Although the success of the automatic landmark detection using the developed artificial intelligence model was not in- sufficient for clinical use, artificial intelligence-based cephalometric analysis systems seem promising to cephalometric analysis which provides a basis for diagnosis, treatment planning, and following-up in clinical orthodontics practice.