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Analysis of Craniomaxillofacial Malformations in Mice Using Three-dimensional Microcomputed Tomography
Published on: January 17, 2025
Age-dependent three-dimensional microcomputed tomography analysis of the human midpalatal suture
Heike Korbmacher1, Arndt Schilling, Klaus Püschel
1Department of Orthodontics, Center for Dental and Oral Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. korbmacher@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Summary
Predicting rapid maxillary expansion success is difficult after age 20. Bone density in the midpalatal suture, not obliteration or interdigitation, appears to limit conservative expansion in older patients.
Area of Science:
- Orthodontics
- Craniofacial Biology
- Biomaterials
Background:
- Predicting the success of rapid maxillary expansion (RME) in patients over 20 is challenging due to limited understanding of age-related suture changes.
- Current methods lack reliable parameters to determine RME success or failure pre-treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To utilize micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to three-dimensionally quantify midpalatal suture morphology.
- To investigate the relationship between suture morphology and patient age.
Main Methods:
- Computed tomography (CT) was used to analyze 28 human palate specimens (ages 14-71).
- Three-dimensional reconstructions were created using AMIRA 3.00 software.
- Sutural morphology was quantified for age-dependent characteristics, including obliteration index, suture length, linear distance, interdigitation index, and bone density (BV/TV), across three age groups (<25, 25-<30, ≥30 years).
Main Results:
- Significant age-related differences were observed only in sagittal bone density, with the middle-aged group (25-<30 years) showing the highest density (53.2%).
- Bone density was significantly lower in the youngest and oldest age groups compared to the middle-aged group.
- The obliteration index showed high inter-individual variability, was generally low, and did not correlate with age. Interdigitation was age-independent.
Conclusions:
- Sutural interdigitation and obliteration index do not explain the need for surgical intervention in older RME patients.
- Sutural bone density, reflecting fracture resistance, appears to be the primary factor limiting conservative RME in older individuals.
