Quantitative cervical vertebral maturation assessment in adolescents with normal occlusion: a mixed longitudinal study.

The purpose of this study was to establish a quantitative cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) system for adolescents with normal occlusion. Methods: Mixed longitudinal data were used. The subjects included 87 children and adolescents from 8 to 18 years old with normal occlusion (32 boys, 55 girls) selected from 901 candidates. Sequential lateral cephalograms and hand-wrist films were taken once a year for 6 years. The lateral cephalograms of all subjects were divided into 11 maturation groups according to the Fishman skeletal maturity indicators. The morphologic characteristics of the second, third, and fourth cervical vertebrae at 11 developmental stages were measured and analyzed. Results: Three characteristic parameters (H4/W4, AH3/PH3, @2) were selected to determine the classification of CVM. With 3 morphologic variables, the quantitative CVM system including 4 maturational stages was established. An equation that can accurately estimate the maturation of the cervical vertebrae was established: CVM stage = -4.13 + 3.57 x H4/W4 + 4.07 x AH3/PH3 + 0.03 x @2. Conclusions: The quantitative CVM method is an efficient, objective, and relatively simple approach to assess the level of skeletal maturation during adolescence. (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2008; 134: 720. e1-720.e7)