Anterior alveolar dimensions among different classifications of sagittal jaw relationship in Saudi subjects

Sound orthodontic movement of anterior teeth is delineated by the biological dimensions of the anterior alveolus. To establish and compare the anterior alveolar dimensions among normal and abnormal sagittal maxillomandibular relationships in a Saudi sample. The lateral cephalometric radiographs of 81 Saudi subjects [42 males and 39 females] were used to determine the anteroposterior and vertical dimensions of the anterior alveolus in Class I [N=30], Class II [N=24], and Class III [N=27] cases. The anterior alveolar dimensions were then compared among males and females belonging to the same sagittal classification and between the different sagittal classifications of the same gender. Significant differences [P<0.05] in the anterior alveolar dimensions between males and females were demonstrated for the same sagittal jaw classification. Also, significant differences [P<0.05] were detected between the anterior alveolar dimensions among the different sagittal maxillomandibular classifications of the same gender. Both the gender and the sagittal maxillomandibular relationship can affect the anteroposterior and vertical dimensions of the anterior alveolus

Association between chronological and skeletal ages among a sample of Saudi male children

Assessment of skeletal maturity is a necessary clinical need in orthodontics and other health professions. The aim of this study was to detect the association between chronological age and skeletal age in a selected Saudi male sample and to compare their skeletal maturity rate with other populations. Hand-wrist radiographs were obtained for 115 subjects and the skeletal age for each subject was determined using a standard hand-wrist radiographic atlas. Also, the skeletal maturity stage for each subject was established using Bjork assessment method. Statistical tests were performed to detect signifcant differences between chronological and skeletal ages at different skeletal maturity stages. The rate of skeletal maturity of the participating Saudi sample was also compared to analogous values that were previously established for other populations. The fndings of the present study indicated that the participating Saudi children had a tendency towards late maturation with the mean skeletal age of the participating subjects being signifcantly lower [P<0.05] than the chronological age at various skeletal maturity stages. When considering the rate of skeletal maturity, the participating Saudi children demonstrated a comparable maturity rate to that of other children from different populations. The results of the present study could enhance the diagnosis and treatment planning in orthodontics, pedodontics, and other health disciplines

Comparative study between hand-wrist method and cervical vertebral maturation method for evaluation of skeletal maturity in Saudi boys

The hand-wrist method and cervical vertebral maturation [CVM] are two common diagnostic approaches to assess skeletal 'maturity in clinical orthodontics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between CVM method and hand-wrist method in estimating the skeletal maturity level of Saudi male children. Lateral cephalograms and hand-wrist radiographs of 145 Saudi male children ranging from 10 to 15 years of age were utilized. The CVM method of Franchi and Baccetti [Franchi and Baccetti, 2002] was used to analyze the maturational morphologic characteristics of the cervical vertebrae from lateral cephalometric radiographs; whereas Bjork's skeletal maturity standards [Bjork, 1972] were utilized to determine the skeletal maturity stage from hand-wrist radiographs. Skeletal age for each subject was established using Greulich and Pyle's standard hand and wrist radiographic atlas [Greulich and Pyle, 1959]. The mean chronological age of the sample was 12.13 +/- 1.54 years, while the mean skeletal age was found to be 11.51 +/- 1.9 years. High correlation [0.89, P<0.01] was established between CVM stages and hand-wrist skeletal maturity stages. The findings of this study suggest that CVM method is a valid and reliable method to assess skeletal maturity in Saudi male children