Evaluation of Vertical Skeletal Patterns with Panoramic Radiographs: A Correlation Analysis

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between a modified landmark of orbital mandibular plane angle (OMPA) on panoramic radiographs and mandibular plane angle (MPA) on lateral cephalograms, to access the vertical skeletal patterns directly through panoramic radiographs.Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 138 orthodontic patients, OMPA and MPA were measured in all 138 patients. Then, a subgroup of 94 cases with clearly identifiable porion landmarks on panoramic radiographs was further analyzed for panoramic mandibular plane angle (PMPA) on panoramic radiographs and MPA on lateral cephalograms. Pearson correlation and linear regression analyses were performed using SPSS 27.0, with significance set at p<0.01.Results: In all 138 cases, OMPA and MPA showed a moderate positive correlation (Pearson's r=0.599, p<0.01). In the subgroup of 94 cases, the correlation between OMPA and MPA remained similar (Pearson's r=0.557, p<0.01), whereas PMPA exhibited a stronger correlation with MPA (Pearson's r=0.736, p<0.01).Conclusions: Both OMPA and PMPA can serve as supplementary indicators for the preliminary assessment of vertical skeletal patterns in orthodontic patients when lateral cephalograms are unavailable. Clinically, these parameters help screen hypodivergent/hyperdivergent tendencies during routine panoramic examination, guiding timely referral for cephalometric analysis.