Midpalatal suture density ratio as a predictor of skeletal response to rapid maxillary expansion

Abstract

Background: During adolescence, increasing interdigitation of the midpalatal suture increases resistance to rapid maxillary expansion (RME), which decreases its skeletal effect. Purpose: To determine if a novel measure of midpalatal suture maturity, the midpalatal suture radiographic density ratio (MPSD), is a predictor of the skeletal response to RME. Research design: Pre-treatment measurements of MPSD ratio, age, and cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) were obtained of 30 patients who underwent RME. Measurements on CBCT scans were used to determine the proportion of prescribed expansion achieved at both the greater palatine foramina (GPFp) and infraorbital foramina (IOFp). Results: There was a statistically significant correlation between the MPSD and both GPFp and IOFp (P<0.05). In contrast, age and CVM were not significantly correlated to the measures of skeletal expansion (P>0.05). Conclusions: The MPSD has the potential to become a useful clinical predictor of skeletal response to RME.