Determination of Cephalometric Norms of Sassouni’s Analysis in South Indian Ethnic Population: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Objective: Numerous cephalometric analyses have been proposed with the advent of cephalometric radiographs in orthodontics to ascertain the true skeletal and dental picture and correlate them with the clinical diagnosis. Sassouni’s analysis differs from other analyses that it provides detailed interaction between sagittal and vertical discrepancies. As the literature enlightens the existence of variability in the craniofacial morphology among different ethnic groups, cephalometric norms derived from standardized groups like Bolton samples and Ann Arbor samples cannot be considered normal for other populations. The aim of this study was to enforce the importance of deriving the cephalometric norms from the local population. Methods: The sample comprised the retrospectively collected pre-treatment lateral cephalograms of 60 adults (25 males, 35 females) belonging to South Indian origin and was categorized into four groups based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. These cephalograms were traced, analysed and interpreted as per Sassouni’s analysis. The statistical evaluation was performed using Pearson’s chi square and spearman’s rho tests to assess the correlation between various morphological aspects of the craniofacial region including the palate, key ridge, mandible and their association with the sagittal and vertical dimensions. Results: The ∑ shaped key ridge, the facial type III B with post archial and concave profile were more prevalent. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the existence of variability in the facial characteristics of the South Indian and Mediterranean populations and the need to devise cephalometric norms for specific racial, ethnic and geographic origins.