Longitudinal study of facial skeletal growth completion in 3 dimensions

Introduction: Previous authors have suggested that transverse facial skeletal growth is completed before either anteroposterior or vertical growth and that anteroposterior growth is completed before vertical growth. Our purpose in this study was to examine this concept. Methods: Twenty-four subjects (11 male, 13 female) who had annual lateral and posteroanterior cephalograms up to and including age 17 or 18 and again at age 25 or older were identified from the Iowa Facial Growth Study. Transverse, anteroposterior, and vertical facial dimensions were measured longitudinally into adulthood by using key skeletal landmarks. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank tests were performed separately for the sexes to determine the age at which each anteroposterior, vertical, and transverse growth variable reached adult size. Results: For both sexes, an overlap exists at any age in the amount of growth completed for the various measurements in the transverse, anteroposterior, and vertical dimensions. Although some transverse measures (cranial width and interjugal width) attain adult size before any anteroposterior or vertical ones, there is evidence of continued growth for other transverse parameters (interzygomatic width and intergonial width). A similar overlap is seen in the anteroposterior and vertical dimensions. Conclusions: A distinct separation, by time and dimension, is not seen in the amount of facial growth completed during development. Instead, a dramatic spread and an overlap of growth curves are observed throughout the developing years.