Kalevi Koski

Variability of the craniofacial skeleton

Abstract The variability of the craniofacial skeleton of the juvenile Macaca mulatta was studied from lateral radiographic cephalograms of twenty-three animals, using a previously described method based on fourteen lines depicting certain anatomic features. The findings, when compared to corresponding human data, revealed that a number of angular relationships are similar in this monkey and in human children and adults. The same is true regarding the variability of individual lines. These similarities suggest that biologic similarities exist in the craniofacial skeletal architecture in these species. Specifically, the findings in the Macaca mulatta were in agreement with previous findings in human children and adults as regards the parallelism between the anterior parts of the neurovascular canals of the upper and lower jaws and the apparently adaptive role of the ramus and the condyle.

Craniofacial skeleton of 7-year-old children with enlarged adenoids

In a radiocephalometric study of 7-year-old children, it was found that a diagnostically useful characteristic associated with the presence or past history of enlarged adenoids is a dorsal rotation of the mandibular ramus relative to the palate. This feature may also be common to other obstructions of the nasopharyngeal space. A possible mechanism causing this growth deviation and some methodological problems involved in its detection are discussed.

Axis of the opening movement of the mandible

D ENTAL INTEREST in the location of the axis of the mandibular opening movement appears to stem from practical considerations. The need for an axis is felt when attempting to simulate the natural movements of the mandible with mechanical devices. Some investigators have also shown interest in the problem from a theoretic point of view. In spite of the abundant literature on the topic, no agreement has been reached. Furthermore, some of the concepts are not anatomically sound. This article is an attempt to clarify the problem from’ the purely anatomic point of view, with the hope that the ideas presented will help those having a more practical interest in the topic,

Variability of the craniofacial skeleton: II. Comparison between two age groups☆

Abstract Samples of lateral x-ray cephalograms of forty young girls and forty young female adults were analyzed by a previously described method. Many of the findings made in an earlier study on a sample of dry skulls of children were supported by the present findings. Several similar configurations among the x-ray anatomic lines were found in the two age groups. These configurations suggest certain functional associations between craniofacial components. They also lend support to the holistic view of the craniofacial biology.

The medial axis branch point in the human mandible

The medial axis method was applied to radio-cephalometric images of the mandible in 20 adults and 18 children and to panoramic X-ray images of these children, and also directly to 50 halves of dry mandibles. It was found that the location of the posterior branch point coincided almost invariably with the mandibular foramen/lingula. The foramen may be regarded as the posterior limit of the mandibular body, from which the condylar and coronoid processes branch off. The medial axis appears to reflect the developmental and functional anatomy of the human mandible.

Trigeminal foraminal pattern in the face.

The integration of the trigeminal nerve into the craniofacial skeleton was studied by examining cephalometrically the relationships of the openings of the branches of the trigeminal nerve to each other and to other structures. Lateral cephalograms were taken from 30 adult skulls; several linear and angular dimensions were measured from the cephalograms. The results suggest a relationship between nerve growth and bone growth in the craniofacial skeleton.

Variability of the craniofacial skeleton. III. Radiographic cephalometry of juvenile Macaca mulatta.

The variability of the craniofacial skeleton of the juvenile Macaca mulatta was studied from lateral radiographic cephalograms of twenty-three animals, using a previously described method based on fourteen lines depicting certain anatomic features. The findings, when compared to corresponding human data, revealed that a number of angular relationships are similar in this monkey and in human childrena and adults. The same is true regarding the variability of individual lines. These similarities suggest that biologic similarities exist in the cranio-facial skeletal architecture in these species. Specifically, the findings in the Macaca mulatta were in agreement with previous findings in human children and adults as regards the parallelism between the anterior parts of the neurovascular canals of the upper and lower jaws and the apparently adaptive role of the ramus and the condyle.