Correlation between dental maturation and bone growth markers in paediatric patients.

AIM Many studies have been made to evaluate the growth, development and maturation of cervical vertebrae. These studies make clear how those vertebrae have growth patterns and centre of ossification similar to those in carpal bones, therefore cervical vertebrae can be used to determine bone age. The aim of the present study is the observation of cervical vertebrae in cephalometric radiographs to determine the bone age in a paediatric population and relate it to dental maturation. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample was composed of 203 children from Madrid, aged between 2 and 10 years. There were 86 males and 117 females, in each case a panoramic was taken to determine dental calcification using Demirjian method and a cephalometric radiograph was taken to evaluate cervical vertebrae maturation. Different vertical and horizontal dimensions were measured to determine maturation. RESULTS The results show that there is a positive relationship between age and size of cervical vertebrae. The average horizontal measurements of the third, fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae presented statistically significant differences in size (p<0.05), being larger in boys than in girls. Statistical correlation was found between dental maturation and increased left vertical measures from third (C3VI) and fourth cervical vertebrae (C4VI), as well as middle vertical measure from fourth cervical vertebra (C4VMD). CONCLUSION Significant changes in size were observed only in vertical measurements and the predictive measurements for dental maturation were C4VI, C4VMD and C3VI.