Cephalometry with a video display computer

A new technique to develop cephalometric analyses for orthodontic problems is illustrated. A digital analyzer of images is employed in our laboratory, and this allows us to get the X-ray picture digitized and displayed on both a black and white and a colour TV screen. All the cephalometric points are selected by an operator who watches a coloured cross which can be moved on the colour TV screen by means of a keyboard. A suitable software was developed to calculate linear and angular measurements. The cephalometric coloured lines appear at the top of the X-ray image and the data are displayed on a monitor, from which a print-out is obtained. Such a technique has some advantages: the X-ray image can be processed before the cephalometric analysis to enhance details, thus making the analysis more accurate; the cephalometric lines can be seen on the X-ray image displayed on the colour TV screen and can be photographed or stored on floppy or rigid disc.