Craniofacial changes in Icelandic children between 6 and 16 years of age – a longitudinal study

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to describe the craniofacial changes between 6 and 16 years of age in a sample of Icelandic children. Complete sets of lateral cephalometric radiographs were available from 95 males and 87 females. Twenty-two reference points were digitized and processed by standard methods, using the Dentofacial Planner computer software program. Thirty-three angular and linear variables were calculated, including: basal sagittal and vertical measurements, facial ratio, and dental, cranial base and mandibular measurements. For the angular measurements, gender differences were not statistically different for any of the measurements, in either age group, except for the variable s-n-na, which was larger in the 16-year-old boys (P < or = 0.001). Linear variables were consistently larger in the boys compared with the girls at both age levels. During the observation period mandibular prognathism increased but the basal sagittal jaw relationship, the jaw angle, the mandibular plane angle and cranial base flexure (n-s-ba) decreased in both genders (P < or = 0.001). Maxillary prognathism increased only in the boys from 6 to 16 years. Inclination of the lower incisors and all the cranial base dimensions increased in both genders during the observation period. When the Icelandic sample was compared with a similar Norwegian sample, small differences could be noted in the maxillary prognathism, mandibular plane angle and in the inclination of the maxilla. Larger differences were identified in the inclination of the lower incisors. These findings could be used as normative cephalometric standards for 6- and 16-year-old Icelandic children.

Posterior cranial base natural growth and development: A systematic review

“…35 During a similar age interval, other studies also showed similar age-related changes in SBa. 31, 32 Henneberke and Prahl-Anderson also reported constant growth velocity for S-Ba over 7 years from age 7 to 14 at 1 mm/y and 0.9 mm/y for boys and girls, respectively; the average length of S-Ba was 2.5 mm larger in boys than in girls. 24 On the other hand, other studies showed slightly different growth rates in different age groups and suggested that cranial base growth was closely related to skeletal age.…”

“…30 This was also supported by Thordarson et al, who showed no difference in cranial base flexure from age 6 to 16 years. 31 In a longitudinal study by Wilhelm et al, there was no difference reported in cranial base angle between different facial classifications, specifically Class I and Class II. 3,34 In one of the studies by Knott, she concluded that the decrease in WPO angle (which was defined as the angle between the postsphenoid line from P to O and the presphenoid line from W to P) and increase in postsphenoid length corresponded to the movement of the occipital condyle point.…”

“…27 Five studies showed size and growth differences between males and females as the cranial base dimensions increased, 24,25,28,32,36 whereas the other three studies indicated no difference according to sex. 26,27,31 Two studies reported changes in S-Ba length in adulthood. 22,26 Bishara observed a significant decrease in the cranial base angle (NSO) and increase in cranial base length from age 26 to 46 years.…”

“…32 In the report by Thordarson et al, no differences were shown between males and females, even as S-Ba lengthened. 31 When comparing male and female longitudinal growth data, Knott showed an increase in postsphenoid length before the age of 6 years and no differences between sexes, but after the age of 12, males showed greater length change. 36 The longitudinal study by Lewis and Roche, which looked at adults up to the age of 50, showed a difference between males and females for maximal growth rate and maximal length of S-Ba.…”

“…Of the 23 articles, 5 were cross-sectional in design, 13,[16][17][18][19] while the remaining 18 were cohort studies. 2,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] Samples consisted of craniofacial measurements from living or deceased postnatal human skulls. Validity of the measurements was not determined in any of the studies, while only six reported some form of reliability assessment.…”