Nasal Morphology Variation Among Different Sagittal Patterns: A CBCT Study

This study aims to compare the reliability and differences of nasal morphology measurements using CBCT and lateral cephalogram, and investigates the three-dimensional nasal morphology among adult females with different sagittal skeletal patterns using CBCT, hoping to provide guidance for orthodontic clinical practice. Thirty patients with individual normal occlusion were included to compare the reliability and differences of nasal indices measured by CBCT and lateral cephalogram. Ninety adult female patients were classified by sagittal skeletal patterns, and CBCT was used to assess intergroup nasal morphology differences and the correlation between nasal morphology and jaw structure. Results indicate that CBCT demonstrates superior reliability in nasal morphology measurement compared to lateral cephalogram, with statistically significant differences observed in some indices. There were no differences in the size and shape of the nose itself among different groups, but significant intergroup differences were observed in the nasolabial-mental complex indices. Additionally a complex three-dimensional correlation was identified between nasal and jaw structures. In conclusion, CBCT provides superior reliability for nasal morphology measurement. A systematic and scientific three-dimensional craniofacial structure measurement system should be established. This also indicates that studying facial structures and their interrelationships from a three-dimensional perspective is of great significance in orthodontic clinical practice.