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In vivo comparison of MRI- and CBCT-based 3D cephalometric analysis: beginning of a non-ionizing diagnostic era in craniomaxillofacial imaging?

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Abstract

Objectives

To evaluate whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can serve as an alternative diagnostic tool to the “gold standard” cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in 3D cephalometric analysis.

Methods

In this prospective feasibility study, 12 patients (8 males, 4 females; mean age ± SD, 26.1 years ± 6.6) underwent 3D MRI and CBCT before orthognathic surgery. 3D cephalometric analysis was performed twice by two independent observers on both modalities. For each dataset, 27 cephalometric landmarks were defined from which 35 measurements (17 angles, 18 distances) were calculated. Statistical analyses included the calculation of Euclidean distances, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), Bland-Altman analysis, and equivalence testing (linear mixed effects model) with a predefined equivalence margin of ± 1°/1 mm.

Results

Analysis of reliability for CBCT vs. MRI (intra-rater I/intra-rater II/inter-rater) revealed Euclidean distances of 0.86/0.86/0.98 mm vs. 0.93/0.99/1.10 mm for landmarks, ICCs of 0.990/0.980/0.986 vs. 0.982/0.978/0.980 for angles, and ICCs of 0.992/0.988/0.989 vs. 0.991/0.985/0.988 for distances. Bland-Altman analysis showed high levels of agreement between CBCT and MRI with bias values (95% levels of agreement) of 0.03° (− 1.49; 1.54) for angles and 0.02 mm (− 1.44; 1.47) for distances. In the linear mixed effects model, the mean values of CBCT and MRI measurements were equivalent.

Conclusion

This feasibility study indicates that MRI enables reliable 3D cephalometric analysis with excellent agreement to corresponding measurements on CBCT. Thus, MRI could serve as a non-ionizing alternative to CBCT for treatment planning and monitoring in orthodontics as well as oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Key Points

• Clinically established 3D cephalometric measurements performed on MRI are highly reliable and show an excellent agreement with CBCT (gold standard).

• The MRI technique applied in this study could be used as a non-ionizing diagnostic tool in orthodontics as well as oral and maxillofacial surgery.

• Since most patients benefiting from 3D cephalometry are young in age, the use of MRI could substantially contribute to radiation protection and open up new possibilities for treatment monitoring.

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Abbreviations

2D:

Two-dimensional

3D:

Three-dimensional

CBCT :

Cone-beam computed tomography

CI:

Confidence interval

FOV:

Field of view

ICC:

Intraclass correlation coefficient

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

MSVAT:

Multiple slab acquisition with view angle tilting

SPACE:

Sampling perfection with application optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolution

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Dietmar Hopp Foundation for their generous support of this research project and Mathias Nittka from Siemens Healthcare for his cooperation and assistance in the setup of the MSVAT-SPACE sequence.

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Dietmar Hopp Foundation (grant number: 23011228; grant holders: AJ, SH, SZ, CJL). AJ receives funding from a postdoctoral fellowship of the Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Alexander Juerchott, Johann M. E. Jende, Martin Bendszus & Tim Hilgenfeld

  2. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Christian Freudlsperger

  3. Institute of Medical Biometry and Informatics (IMBI), Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Dorothea Weber

  4. Section of Experimental Radiology, Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Muhammad Abdullah Saleem & Sabine Heiland

  5. Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Sebastian Zingler & Christopher J. Lux

Authors
  1. Alexander Juerchott
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  2. Christian Freudlsperger
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  7. Christopher J. Lux
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  10. Tim Hilgenfeld
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Correspondence to Tim Hilgenfeld.

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The scientific guarantor of this publication is Tim Hilgenfeld.

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The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies, whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article.

Statistics and biometry

One of the authors has significant statistical expertise (Dorothea Weber).

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Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects (patients) in this study.

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Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.

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• performed at one institution

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Juerchott, A., Freudlsperger, C., Weber, D. et al. In vivo comparison of MRI- and CBCT-based 3D cephalometric analysis: beginning of a non-ionizing diagnostic era in craniomaxillofacial imaging?. Eur Radiol 30, 1488–1497 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-019-06540-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-019-06540-x

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