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Morphometric analysis of palatal rugae in different malocclusions

Morphometrische Analyse der Rugae palatinae bei verschiedenen Malokklusionen

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Journal of Orofacial Orthopedics / Fortschritte der Kieferorthopädie Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

Studies of the association between palatal rugae (PR) and malocclusion are scarce. While unstable following treatment such as rapid maxillary expansion, we hypothesized that PR differ among malocclusions because of genetic determination but also different environmental conditions during development.

Our goal was to assess the possible association between PR morphometric measurements and both sagittal and vertical characteristics of malocclusion.

Methods

Maxillary pretreatment dental casts of 243 nongrowing individuals (115 males, 128 females, age 25.5 ± 7.5 years) were laser scanned (Perceptron ScanWorks® V5, Hallam VIC, Australia); angular and linear measurements of the first three PR were recorded in transverse and anteroposterior directions. Cephalometric measurements were obtained from corresponding digitized lateral cephalograms. Statistics included analyses of variance to compare PR measurements among sagittal (class I, class II divisions 1 and 2, class III) and vertical (hypodivergent, normodivergent, hyperdivergent) malocclusion groups and the Pearson correlations among PR dimensions and cephalometric measurements.

Results

PR measurements were statistically different between malocclusions, especially with respect to vertical patterns. A majority of transverse and anteroposterior rugae measurements were greatest in class II division 2 subjects. PR were more anteriorly directed in hypodivergent than hyperdivergent groups; the transverse separation between opposing rugae points was smaller. Correlations were generally low.

Conclusions

The findings suggest the possibility for PR to adapt to environmental effects in developing malocclusions, mostly in the class II division 2 phenotype. This premise reinforces the need to explore in longitudinal studies the long-term environmental influences on rugae superimposed on their genetically determined morphological pattern.

Zusammenfassung

Zielsetzungen

Es gibt kaum Studien über den Zusammenhang zwischen den Rugae palatinae (PR) und Malokklusionen. Zwar sind sie nach einer Behandlung, wie z.B. einer raschen Gaumennahterweiterung, instabil, dennoch stellten wir die Hypothese auf, dass sich die PR zwischen den Malokklusionen aufgrund der genetischen Bestimmung, aber auch aufgrund unterschiedlicher Umweltbedingungen während der Entwicklung unterscheiden.

Unser Ziel war es, den möglichen Zusammenhang zwischen morphometrischen PR-Messungen und sowohl sagittalen als auch vertikalen Merkmalen der Malokklusion zu beurteilen.

Methoden

Die Oberkiefer-Vorbehandlungsabdrücke von 243 ausgewachsenen Probanden (115 Männer, 128 Frauen, Alter 25,5 ± 7,5 Jahre) wurden mit Laser gescannt (Perceptron ScanWorks® V5, Hallam VIC, Australien),die Winkel- und Linearmessungen der ersten 3 PR in transversaler und anteroposteriorer Richtung aufgezeichnet. Die kephalometrischen Messungen wurden aus entsprechenden digitalisierten lateralen Kephalogrammen gewonnen. Die Statistik umfasste Varianzanalysen zum Vergleich der PR-Messungen zwischen sagittalen (Klasse I, Klasse II/1 und -2, Klasse III) und vertikalen (hypo-, normo- und hyperdivergente) Malokklusionsgruppen sowie die Pearson-Korrelationen zwischen PR-Dimensionen und kephalometrischen Messungen.

Ergebnisse

Die PR-Messungen unterschieden sich statistisch signifikant zwischen den Malokklusionen, insbesondere in Bezug auf die vertikalen Muster. Die Mehrheit der Messungen der transversalen und anteroposterioren Rugae war bei Probanden der Klasse II/2 am größten. Die PR waren in hypodivergenten Gruppen stärker nach anterior gerichtet als in hyperdivergenten, die transversale Trennung zwischen gegenüberliegenden Rugae-Punkten war kleiner. Generell waren die Korrelationen niedrig.

Schlussfolgerungen

Die Ergebnisse legen die Möglichkeit nahe, dass sich die PR bei sich entwickelnden Malokklusionen, meist im Phänotyp der Klasse II/2, an Umwelteinflüsse anpassen kann. Diese Prämisse verstärkt die Notwendigkeit, in Längsschnittstudien die langfristigen Umwelteinflüsse auf Rugae zu untersuchen, die ihr genetisch bedingtes morphologisches Muster überlagern.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Odontology, Anthropology and Human Identification, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

    Maria E. Saadeh

  2. Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

    Maria E. Saadeh

  3. Division of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon

    Maria E. Saadeh,  Ramzi V. Haddad & Joseph G. Ghafari

  4. Department of Orthodontics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Joseph G. Ghafari

Authors
  1. Maria E. Saadeh
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  2. Ramzi V. Haddad
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  3. Joseph G. Ghafari
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ramzi V. Haddad.

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Conflict of interest

M.E. Saadeh, R.V. Haddad and J.G. Ghafari have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to the material presented.

Ethical standards

This cross-sectional investigation was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the American University of Beirut (ID#OTO.RH.03). Informed consent to publish was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Saadeh, M.E., Haddad, R.V. & Ghafari, J.G. Morphometric analysis of palatal rugae in different malocclusions. J Orofac Orthop 82, 111–120 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00056-020-00256-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00056-020-00256-0

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