title: Transverse maxillary deficit and its influence on the cervical vertebrae maturation index.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to evaluate whether a transverse maxillary deficit can cause an alteration of vertebral development and therefore of the skeletal maturation comparing the cervical maturation stages index with the hand-wrist index.
  
  
  METHODS
  For the study were selected 200 patients aged 7-14 years, equally distributed by gender and divided into 100 study subjects with maxillary deficit and 100 controls without maxillary deficit. The skeletal maturation index (SM according to Fishman) was evaluated and compared with the hand-wrist x-rays and the cervical vertebrae maturation (CVM according to Hassel and Farmann).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-one per cent of the subjects in the test group show a discrepancy between CVM and SM. Among these 73% (30 subjects) present an advanced stage of CVM compared with the corresponding SM. Only 16% of the subjects in the control group show a discrepancy between CVM and SM. Among these 69% (11 subjects) appear in an advanced CVM stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis of the CVM stage in subjects with transverse maxillary deficit appears to be altered compared with the SM identified through a hand-wrist x-ray. In the case of individuals with transverse maxillary deficit it is advisable to use also a hand-wrist x-ray, thus not relying only on CVM for the evaluation of the skeletal growth stages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Milan; Fondazione Cà Granda IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, UOC di Chirurgia Maxillo-Facciale ed Odontostomatologia, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cossellu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Milan; Fondazione Cà Granda IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, UOC di Chirurgia Maxillo-Facciale ed Odontostomatologia, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Farronato
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Milan; Fondazione Cà Granda IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, UOC di Chirurgia Maxillo-Facciale ed Odontostomatologia, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nicotera
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Milan; Fondazione Cà Granda IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, UOC di Chirurgia Maxillo-Facciale ed Odontostomatologia, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biagi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000254:growth & development*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology*