Prediction of Mandibular Growth Potential Using Cervical Vertebral Bone Age in Saudi Subjects

Assessment of mandibular growth potential is an essential component of proper diagnosis and treatment planning in orthodontics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of utilizing the cervical vertebral bone age method to predict the mandibular growth potential in a group of growing Saudi individuals. The sample consisted of the lateral cephalometric radiographs of untreated 84 Saudi subjects (33 male and 51 female) with class I skeletal relationship. The subjects were divided based on the gender and chronological age into four groups: young male (n = 15, 10.06 ± 0.25 years), young female group (n = 30, 12 ± 1.58 years), adult male (n =18, 21.29 ± 3.42 years), and adult female (n =21, 21 ± 3.15 years). The mandibular growth potential in each young subject was calculated using an established cervical vertebral bone age method. No significant difference (p<0.05) was found between the mandibular length value predicted by the cervical vertebral bone age and the actual mandibular length in the adult group for both genders. The findings of this study demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the cervical vertebral bone age method in predicting the mandibular growth potential in growing Saudi subjects and can be found clinically useful during treatment planning for jaw growth modification therapy.