Anteroposterior length of the maxillary complex and its relationship with the anterior cranial base: : A study on human dry skulls using cone beam computed tomography

OBJECTIVES: To use both absolute anteroposterior maxillary complex length (APMCL) and relative APMCL to investigate the relationship between the maxillary complex, its individual bony segments, and their association to the anterior cranial base. In addition, the relationship between length and position of the maxillary complex was analyzed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty human skulls were analyzed using cone beam computed tomography. The maxillary complex length was measured between anterior and posterior nasal spine (ans-pns), and the average was used as the cut-off to identify a high- and a low-length group based on absolute APMCL. The length ratio between the maxillary complex and the anterior cranial base (ans-pns/SN) was used to identify the two groups based on relative APMCL. The anterior cranial base length and the lengths of the maxillary complex bones were compared between the high- and low-length groups.

RESULTS: Based on absolute APMCL, individuals with shorter maxillary complex had shorter anterior cranial base (P = .003), representing normal proportions. Based on relative APMCL, individuals with shorter maxillary complex had longer anterior cranial base and vice versa (P = .014), indicating disproportions. Individuals with shorter maxillary complex exhibited shorter maxilla (Δ = -1.5 mm, P = .014).

CONCLUSIONS: When skeletal deformity of the midface is suspected, individual disproportions in the anteroposterior length of the maxillary complex in relation to the anterior cranial base (relative measurements) should be assessed through radiological imaging. A shorter maxillary complex may be associated with a shorter maxilla, and not with a shorter premaxilla or palatine bone.