RESUMEN
In proper diagnosis of skeletal Class III malocclusion, it was important to know the pattern of three dimensional skeletal & facial disharmony. The purpose of this study was to obtain P-A cephalometric characteristics in skeletal Class III malocclusion comparing with normal occlusion. The samples were consisted of 120 subjects, divided into four groups : Male normal occlusion, Female normal occlusion, Male skeletal Class III malocclusion, Female skeletal Class III malocclusion. Posteroanterior and lateral cephalogram were taken from the subjects with a x-ray apparatus (ASHAI CX90SP, Japan) and traced on acetate pater with routine manner. The transverse and vertical values from posteroanterior cephalometry, the sagittal values from lateral cephalmetry and their ratio were obtained. The results were as follows : 1. The anteroposterior discrepancy in skeletal Class III group was not due to short maxillary length(Cd-A), but to longer mandibular length(Cd-Gn) than normal occlusion group. 2. The faces of skeletal Class III group were longer than normal occlusion group. It was not due to increase of upper face height (Cg-ANS) but to increase of the lower face height(ANS-NE) especially mandibular height(Cd-Me). 3. There was no difference in the facial width values between normal occlusion group and skeletal Class III group, except upper molar width(U6-U6), lower molar width(L6-L6) and mandibular width(Ag-Ag) of female skeletal Class III group which were larger than normal occlusion group. 4. The increase of mandibular length of skeletal Class III group was reflected in the increase of lower facial height but did not have an effect on the mandibular width.