Correlation between the cross-sectional morphology of the mandible and the three-dimensional facial skeletal pattern: A structural equation modeling approach

ABSTRACT Objective: To clarify the relationship between the cross-sectional morphology of the mandible and vertical, transverse, and anteroposterior facial skeletal patterns using statistical shape analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). Materials and Methods: We used 150 cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images to obtain three-dimensional (3D) facial landmarks and cross-sectional images of the mandible. The morphology of the inner and outer cortices of the mandible was analyzed using statistical shape analysis, including generalized Procrustes analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). Factor analysis was performed to determine factors pertaining to the skeletal measurements and shape variations for the inner and outer cortices, following which a structural equation model was constructed. Results: Using factor analysis, characteristics of the vertical, transverse, and anteroposterior facial skeletal patterns were determined. PCA of the cross-sectional morphology of the mandible revealed...