Determining skeletal maturation for subjects from 9-to 18-year-old in two population

Aim The aim of the present study is to determine the reliability of the lateral cephalometric radiography and orthopantomography in the diagnosis of skeletal maturation for nine to eighteen years old subjects in two populations. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was performed with a sample of 72 patient records from the Orthodontics Departments at the Autonomous University of Yucatan (southeast of Mexico) and the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (central Mexico). Patients aged between 9 and 18 years old.Samples were divided into six groups (36 radiographs/group). Groups I and IV were analyzed with Björk, Grave, and Brown's systems, groups II and V with Hassel and Farman methods, and groups III and VI with the Demirjian Index. The degree of intra-observer agreement between all methods of predicting skeletal maturation was measured using the weighted kappa statistics. The correlation between the hand-wrist analysis, cervical vertebrae maturation, and the stages of mandibular second molar was evaluated by the Spearman correlation method. Results The kappa coefficient was 0.919 for hand-wrist analysis, while 0.839 and 0.915 for cervical vertebrae maturation and dental age, respectively. Spearman's (r) correlation values were between GI and GII r = 0.900, GI and GIII r = 0.823, GII and GIII r = 0.826, GIV and GV r = 0.893, GIV and GVI r = 0.862, GV and GVI r = 0.843 with P ≤ 0.05. Conclusion Lateral cephalometric radiography and orthopantomography is effective in determining skeletal maturation.