The relation between mandibular configuration and the shape of the glenoid fossa in the human

In order to investigate the correlation between the shape of glenoid fossa and the morphology of the mandible, ten measurements were made on 37 pretreatment cephalograms of orthodontic patients aged from 8.1 to 12.3 years. The inclination of the articulating surface of the glenoid fossa when measured in relation to the clival plane, nasion-sella line or the nasal plane, correlated strongly with the configuration of the mandible. The results further support the hypothesis that the shape of the glenoid fossa affects the growth of the mandible. A vertically oriented articulating surface of the glenoid fossa, seems to direct condylar growth more vertically than does an articulating surface, which is oriented more horizontally.