RESUMEN
BACKGROUND:Posterior arch length deficiency is closely related to the formation and development of malocclusion. OBJECTIVE:To measure the posterior arch length in individual normal occlusions of adults in Lanzhou. METHODS:A total of 102 current col ege students with individual normal occlusions, with a mean age of (19.33±2.67) years (range 18-24 years), including 47 males and 55 females from Gansu Province, were chosen to take lateral cephalograms. Al research objects were divided into three groups according to mandibular plane angle:high angle group (Frankfort mandibular-plane angle>32°), low angle group (Frankfort mandibular-plane angleRESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Posterior arch length of maxil ary arch was slightly longer in male group than that in female group, and the difference was not significant (P>0.05). The posterior arch length of mandibular arch was slightly longer in male group than that in female group, but the difference was no significant (P>0.05). Comparison between groups revealed that the posterior arch length of low angle mandibular arch was significantly longer than that of high angle mandibular arch in male group, and the difference was significant (P<0.05). The results indicate that the gender wil not influence the development of posterior arch length. Different vertical facial types and different genders have different posterior arch length in individual normal occlusions of adults