ABSTRACT
Sella turcica contains pituitary gland that has influence on craniofacial growth So, if the volume of sella turcica correlate to the function of pituitary gland, we can assume that the volume of sella turcica in skeletal Class III patients has some difference to that of normal occlusion group. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference of shape and volume of sella turcica between normal occlusion group and Class III patients. The shape of sella turcica was Classified by Inaba method and the volume of sella turcica was measured in lateral and P-A cephalograms by Di Chiro method. To find out the possibility of the volume of sella turcica as diagnostic aid to predict Class III growth pattern, the correlation coefficients between the volume of sella and cephalometric variables were calculated. The results were as follows. 1. The volume of sella turcica in Class III patients is larger than that of normal occlusion groups. 2. The volume of sella turcica in female was larger than that of male in Class III patients. 3. The volume of sella turcica has close correlation with APDL ANB, SNA, SNB, ODI, gonial angle, post. cranial base length. 4. Sella Index (volume of sella / ant. cranial base length) can be a more accurate indicator that represent Class III growth pattern than volume of sella itself. 5. The morphologic pattern of sella turcica had no significant difference between two groups.