A Comparison of Cervical Vertebral Maturation Assessment of Skeletal Growth Stages with Chronological Age in Thai between Cleft Lip and Palate and Non-Cleft Patients
Poonsak Pisek DDS, MSc, FRCDT*, Keith Godfrey AM, MDS, DR. Dent*, Montian Manosudprasit DDS, MDS, FRCD*, Tasanee Wangsrimongkol DDS, MS, PhD*, Pornnapha Leelasinjaroen DDS*
Affiliation : * Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Objective : (1) To search for any difference in chronological age related to stages of the cervical vertebral maturation index
stages (CVMIs) comparing groups of cleft lip and palate (CLP) and non-cleft (non-CLP) subjects; (2) To investigate the
relationship between chronological age and CVMIs in both groups of subjects.
Material and Method: Cervical vertebrae C2, C3, C4 were assessed on 1,549 cephalometric films (503 CLP films, 1,046
non-CLP films of subjects aged 5 to 18 years) using Hassel and Farman’s method.
Results : T-tests showed mean chronological ages of CVMIs 2, 3 and 6 were different at p = 0.001, 0.024 and 0.016,
respectively. CVMIs 1, 4 and 5 showed no significant differences. The CLP group achieved each CVMI score one year ahead
of the non-CLP group, except for CVMI 4. Spearman’s rank order correlations were r = 0.80 (95% CI: 0.76-0.83) for CLP,
and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.74-0.79) for non-CLP.
Conclusion : CLP subjects tended to have a slightly advanced growth compared with non-CLP subjects. A high correlation
coefficient was found between chronological age and cervical vertebral skeletal maturation.
Keywords : Hassel and Farman’s method, Cervical vertebral maturation, CVMI, Chronological age, Cleft lip and palate
