Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 9, 2025
A Postoperative Evaluation Guideline for Computer-Assisted Reconstruction of the Mandible
Published on: January 28, 2020
An Artificial Intelligence System for Staging the Spheno-Occipital Synchondrosis
Omid Halimi Milani1, Lauren Mills2, Amanda Nikho2
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to develop, test and validate automated interpretable deep learning algorithms for the assessment and classification of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis (SOS) fusion stages from a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).
Study Design:
The sample consisted of 723 CBCT scans of orthodontic patients from private practices in the midwestern United States. The SOS fusion stages were classified by two orthodontists and an oral and maxillofacial radiologist. The advanced deep learning models employed consisted of ResNet, EfficientNet and ConvNeXt. Additionally, a new attention-based model, ConvNeXt + Conv Attention, was developed to enhance classification accuracy by integrating attention mechanisms for capturing subtle medical imaging features. Laslty, YOLOv11 was integrated for fully-automated region detection and segmentation.
Results:
ConvNeXt + Conv Attention outperformed the other models and achieved a 88.94% accuracy with manual cropping and 82.49% accuracy in a fully automated workflow.
Conclusion:
This study introduces a novel artificial intelligence-based pipeline that reliably automates the classification of the SOS fusion stages using advanced deep learning models, with the highest accuracy achieved by ConvNext + Conv Attention. These models enhance the efficiency, scalability and consistency of SOS staging while minimising manual intervention from the clinician, underscoring the potential for AI-driven solutions in orthodontics and clinical workflows.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Sutures of the Skull
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
01:27Cranial Bones: Lateral View
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...