The mandible in mandibulofacial dysostosis: a cephalometric study

The lower border of the mandible in mandibulofacial dysostosis is characteristic of the syndrome. Evaluation of the cephalograms by means of the medial axis analysis and inflectional tangents captures the shape deformity. Morphometric data from lateral cephalograms on seven patients, ages 3 through 20 years, are reported: a total of 22 observations on three males and four females. These forms were compared to normal mandibular forms from the University of Michigan University School Study. The curvature of the gonial angle in the study population is not distinguishable from the normal curvature. Relative to this apparently normal region, there is a marked downward displacement of the symphysis that results in the curvature typical of the lower mandibular border in this syndrome. These findings are not consistent with earlier reports.