Correlation between Alveolar Cleft Measurements Performed with Periapical Radiography and Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Objective: To assess the correlation between alveolar cleft measurements obtained from conventional radiography and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Method: Eleven patients treated at 'Associacao Maranhense da Alegria', a non-profit organization that offers treatment to patients with cleft lip and palate, were included in this cross-sectional, descriptive study. All patients presented pre-incisive and trans-incisive foramen clefts and had not been treated with bone grafting. Periapical and occlusal radiographs and CBCT scans were obtained from all patients. The following measurements were determined: on periapical radiographs, cleft width in relation to the adjacent teeth in the a) apical, b) middle, and c) cervical thirds; on occlusal radiographs, cleft width based on the d) buccal, e) middle, and f) palatal aspects of the cleft; on CBCT scans, cleft width in relation to the adjacent teeth in the g) apical, h) middle, and i) cervical thirds, in a panoramic longitudinal section, for the assessment of correlation with periapical radiographic findings, and cleft width based on the j) buccal, l) middle, and m) palatal aspects of the cleft, in axial sections, for the assessment of correlation with occlusal radiographic findings. Radiographic measurements were calculated using a millimeter ruler and CBCT measurements were made using the i-CAT Vision software. Statistical analysis was performed by Spearman's rank correlation test using and the software SPSS Statistics 17 for Windows. Results: The following correlation coefficients were found between periapical radiography and CBCT: 0.618 in the apical third (significance rho=0.05), 0.556 in the middle third (significance rho=0.05), and 0.963 in the cervical third (significance rho=0.01). Results between occlusal radiography and CBCT were as follows: 0.712 on the buccal aspect (significance rho=0.01), 0.568 on the middle aspect, and 0.679 on the palatal aspect (both significant at rho=0.05). Conclusion: These findings indicate different positive correlation coefficients between measurements obtained from conventional radiography vs. CBCT, especially between periapical radiography and CBCT in the cervical third, and between occlusal radiography and CBCT on the buccal aspect of the cleft.