Relationship between Craniovertebral Abnormalities and Maxillary Lateral Incisors Agenesis: A Case-Control Study

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Dental Anatomy
• Radiology

Background:

• Congenital missing maxillary lateral incisor (CMMLI) is a common dental anomaly.
• Sella turcica bridging (STB) and ponticulus posticous (PP) are anatomical variations potentially linked to craniofacial development.
• Understanding these associations can aid in diagnosis and treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between STB and PP and CMMLI.
• To determine if the type of CMMLI (unilateral or bilateral) influences these associations.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 160 panoramic images and lateral cephalograms from 2000 orthodontic patients.
• 80 patients with CMMLI (40 unilateral, 40 bilateral) formed the case group; 80 without CMMLI formed the control group.
• Statistical analysis was used to assess relationships between CMMLI, STB, and PP.

Main Results:

• A significant positive relationship was found between CMMLI and STB (P < 0.05).
• Bilateral CMMLI showed a significant association with STB (P < 0.05).
• No significant relationship was observed between CMMLI and PP extension (P > 0.05), nor between STB and PP extension (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• CMMLI is significantly associated with STB, particularly in bilateral cases.
• PP extension does not show a significant association with CMMLI or STB.
• These findings highlight STB as a potential radiographic marker associated with CMMLI.