Table 1

Author, date, and country	Patient group	Study type (level of evidence)	Outcomes	Key results	Study weaknesses
OPG = orthopantomography.
Johnston and Doris, 1980, USA¹	17 patients with 24 mandibular fractures	Survey	x Ray diagnosis	8 (47%) fractures seen more easily on OPG	Patients with fractures only
	Standard series v OPG		Ease of interpretation	OPG more easily interpreted
Moilanen, 1982, Finland²	272 mandibular fractures	Retrospective diagnostic	x Ray diagnosis	33% fractures seen more easily on OPG	Gold standard not stated
	Standard series v OPG		Accuracy of interpretation	Error rate 7% for OPG, 40% for standard series	Patients with fractures only
Chayra et al, 1986, USA³	50 patients with 88 mandibular fractures	Retrospective diagnostic	x Ray diagnosis	27% fractures seen more easily on OPG	Gold standard not stated
	Standard series v OPG		Accuracy of interpretation	Error rate 8% for OPG, 34% for standard series	Patients with fractures only
Markowitz et al, 1999, USA⁴	21 patients with 33 fractures	Prospective diagnostic	x Ray diagnosis	Sensitivities 91% (standard series) v 88% (OPG)	Gold standard not stated
	Standard series v OPG v CT scan		Accuracy of interpretation	Accuracy 93% (standard series) v 90% (OPG)	Patients with fractures only