Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the error magnitude in the clinical application of face-bow devices. Technical and methodologic inaccuracies, as well as deviations from reference planes, were determined. Materials and Methods: The presented method is part of a 3-dimensional virtual planning procedure for orthognathic surgery and included 15 patients with dentoskeletal deformities. Cone beam computed tomography datasets obtained from patients with a referenced face-bow plane and a centric registration splint were matched with cone beam computed tomography datasets of the registered plaster model of the maxilla mounted in an articulator. To assess potential sources of methodologic errors, angulations were measured between the virtual face-bow plane and the horizontal cross bar of the virtual articulator. To evaluate the reproducibility of the anatomic reference plane, angulations between the Frankfort plane and the horizontal cross bar of the articulator were measured. Statistical significance was set at P <.05 and tested by univariate analysis of variance. Results: Technical and methodologic errors showed a mean deviation of 3.5°, with a median of 3.6° and SD of 2.7°. The values did not reach statistical significance (P =.1). However, there was a significant error (P <.05) in determining the position of the anatomic reference plane by face-bow transfer. The mean deviation was 7.7° (values ranged between 1.2° and 18.9°), with a median of 6.7° and SD of 5.3°. Conclusions: In this study the traditional use of face-bow devices showed inaccuracies in model mounting as well as in assignment of anatomic reference planes. Three-dimensional virtual computer-assisted planning seems to be more accurate than conventional methods.
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