Condylar asymmetry in unilateral posterior crossbite patients.
BACKGROUND
Posterior crossbite is defined as an abnormal buccolingual relationship between opposing posterior teeth including the canines in centric occlusion. The most common form of posterior crossbite is unilateral with a functional shift of the mandible toward the crossbite side. Lateral shift of the mandible in functional crossbite patients results in mandibular skeletal deflection to the crossbite side. Thus, the asymmetrical position of the mandible in these patients can result in asymmetrical condylar heights. The purpose of this study was to investigate condylar and ramal asymmetries in unilateral crossbite patients as compared with normocclusive subjects.


METHODS
The study groups included 81 patients with unilateral posterior crossbite and a control group of 75 patients with normal occlusion. Condylar, ramal, and condylar-plus-ramal asymmetry values were computed for all subjects on panoramic radiographs. Data were analyzed statistically with ANOVA for repeated measures and univariate ANOVA.


RESULTS
The patients with unilateral posterior crossbite had more asymmetric condyles than did the controls. In addition, condylar, ramal, and condylar-plus-ramal heights on the crossbite side were smaller than those on the noncrossbite side.


CONCLUSIONS
Subjects with functional unilateral posterior crossbite have asymmetrical condyles.
Kilic
Nihat
N
Assistant, Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey.
Kiki
Ali
A
Oktay
Hüsamettin
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D005146:Facial Asymmetry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012189:Retrospective Studies