Gonial Angle Measurement: Panoramic Radiography or Lateral Cephalogram?

Objective: Measuring the gonial angle is an essential diagnostic tool for identifying craniofacial disorders. In this study, gonial angle measurements from panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms of individuals with skeletal class I malocclusion were compared. The study also attempts to determine which radiography method is best suited for precisely determining the gonial angle. Methods: Lateral cephalograms and panoramic radiographs of 70 orthodontic patients (34 males, 36 females; mean age: 16.8 years) were selected from the department's archive. On the lateral cephalograms, SNA, SNB, ANB, GoGn-SN, and gonial angle measurements were made; on the panoramic radiographs, measurements of the right and left gonial angles were made. Gender differences were analyzed using Student t-tests, and Pearson's correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship of angles. The reliability of measurements was evaluated by calculating repeatability coefficients. Results: The lateral cephalogram's mean gonial angle value was 126.4 ± 4.75, and in the panoramic radiography was 124.8 ± 5.39 on the right side, and 125.1 ± 5.67 on the left side. The differences between the gender in terms of GoGn-SN and gonial angle in lateral cephalogram were statistically significant (P < .05). The correlation between the gonial angle in lateral cephalogram and panoramic radiography was determined to be significant. Conclusion: Panoramic radiographs can accurately assess the gonial angle, just like lateral cephalograms. The advantage of using panoramic radiographs is that they allow easy measurement of both side angles without the need for superimposition of anatomical landmarks.