The reliability of two different paraocclusal mounting methods for the digital instrumental functional diagnostics with ARCUSdigma II

In digital axiography, relative movements of the mandible are recorded with a paraocclusal mounted writing bow and a facebow attached to the head. The attachment of the writing bow is either carried out by individualized preparation of the paraocclusal tray in the dental laboratory (indirect method) or by intraoral attachment using a bite registration material (direct method). In the present study, a comparative analysis of the impact of the paraocclusal mounting method on the reliability of measurements was conducted. Bennett angle (BA) and condylar path angle (horizontal condylar inclination [HCI]) were recorded in all subjects using the ARCUSdigma II system, with both direct and indirect mounting methods and three repeated measurements for each method. The reliability was determined by applying the Pearson correlation coefficient and by performing a Bland-Altman analysis. The results of the present study show that both of the attachment methods allow for the acquisition of reliable data. Nevertheless, in clinical practice, the direct method is easier to use because it provides similar measurement accuracy and reliability without the need for dental laboratory work. Keywords: instrumental functional analysis, axiography, Bennett-Winkel, horizontal condylar inclination, paraocclusal