Rendimiento de la evaluación cefalométrica para el diagnóstico sagital intermaxilar: Revisión narrativa

Abstract

Sagittal intermaxillary anomalies are highly prevalent clinical entities that affect between 20% and 40% of the population. The origin of a high percentage of them relies on skeletal alterations of the jaws, which are characterized by the presence of an abnormal overjet. Their relevance becomes evident when their manifestations are severe, as they generate morphologic alterations that bring functional, aesthetic and psychological consequences both in children and adults. The quantitative evaluation of the sagital intermaxillary relationships is done preferably with cephalometry, through measurements that represent diagnostic indicators. There are numerous indices used for intermaxillary sagital classification, nevertheless, the information about their diagnostic value is limited, in terms of the sensibility and specificity associated with their use. The aim of the present narrative review is to analyze the performance of the cephalometric evaluation as a diagnostic tool for the measurement of the intermaxllary sagittal relationship in terms of sensibility and specificity. At present, no single cephalometric test assembles all the ideal characteristics to determine accurately if an individual presents a sagittal discrepancy. The available information related to the properties of specificity and sensitivity of the sagital intermaxillary cephalometric measurements as individual diagnostic indices is scarce. Among them, the ANB angle constitutes a suitable, simple and valid tool to determine these disharmonies. The use of cephalometric diagnostic tests for the sagittal intermaxillary evaluation in growing individuals must consider the dynamic nature of craniofacial development. Rev. Clin. Periodoncia Implantol. Rehabil. Oral Vol. 6(2); 96-101, 2013.