Association of Scoliosis with Maxillofacial Malformation and Temporomandibular Joint Disorder in Jaw Deformity Patients

Idiopathic scoliosis is a well-known orthopedic disease in childhood and the onset and progress are observed during adolescence. It is speculated that the progress of idiopathic scoliosis affects the maxillofacial growth and the function of the temporomandibular joint because the craniofacial skeletal is located on the top of the spinal column. Another reason may be that asymmetric craniofacial growth changes the head posture and/or spinal column. In this study, we examined the association of scoliosis with jaw deformity and temporomandibular joint disorders.The subjects were 44 patients who underwent orthognathic surgery for treatment of a jaw deformity at Hiroshima University Hospital. We measured the Cobb angle, an indicator of scoliosis, and the curve of the spinal column in vertebrae thoracicae on the chest radiograph. Moreover, the lateral shift of points A and B, cant of the occlusal plane and ANB angle were measured on the postero-anterior (PA) plane and lateral cephalograms. Association between the curve of the spinal column and maxillofacial morphology was examined by correlation analysis. The degree of scoliosis was examined in association with the pathological status of temporomandibular joint.The prevalence of subjects diagnosed with scoliosis was 22.7%. Among the scoliosis patients, 70% were female. In all subjects with a jaw deformity, a significantly positive correlation was not found between the following variables and the Cobb angle: ANB angle, lateral shift of points A and B, cant of the occlusal plane. Moreover, no significant association between the curve of spinal column in the vertebrae thoracicae and previous variables was revealed. In addition, there was no relationship between the degree of the scoliosis and progress of the temporomandibular joint disorder.These findings suggested that the progress of scoliosis exerts no substantial influence on the growth of the maxillofacial skeleton and the progress of temporomandibular joint disorders.

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