Cephalometric floating norms for North American adults.

Floating norms provide a method of analysis that uses the variability of the associations among suitable cephalometric measures, on the basis of a regression model combining both sagittal and vertical skeletal parameters. This study establishes floating norms for the description of the individual skeletal pattern in North American adults. The method is based on the correlations among the following craniofacial measurements: SNA, SNB, NL-NSL, ML-NSL, and NSBa. The results are given in a graphical box-like form. This easy, practical procedure allows for the identification of either individual harmonious craniofacial features or anomalous deviations from the individual norm. The use of cephalometric floating norms may be helpful for diagnosis and treatment planning in orthognathic surgery and dentofacial orthopedics.