Assessment of Cervical Vertebral Maturation and Chronological Age in Yemeni Children and Adolescents Using Lateral Cephalometric Radiographs

BACKGROUND The timing of growth plays a crucial role in effective orthodontic treatment planning. This is also true for cervical vertebral maturation (CVM), which does not always align with chronological age (CA). This study evaluated the correlation between indices of CVM and CA in 240 lateral cephalometric radiographs (LCRs) of male and female Yemeni children and adolescents, 8 to 19 years of age. MATERIAL AND METHODS A prospective study of 240 LCRs of 120 males and 120 females aged 8 to 19 years, was conducted from December 2022 to October 2023 using Baccetti's method, with some modifications to CVM. The superior, inferior, posterior, and anterior borders of second, third, and fourth cervical vertebrae were traced to identify the inferior concavity depth and shape of the vertebrae. CVM stages were assessed at 6 different growing times. Pearson correlation coefficient was used, and a P value of <0.05 indicated statistical significance. RESULTS Spearman correlation revealed a statistically significant association between CVM stage and CA (r=0.887; P<0.000). Significant differences between males and females were found in cervical stage (CS) 4 and CS5 (P<0.05). Mean CA at CS4 was 13.18±1.58 years for males and 12.15±1.10 years for females, and the mean CA at CS5 was 16.33±1.29 years for males and 15.23±1.62 years for females. CONCLUSIONS Pubertal growth spurts occurred at 10.25-13.18 years in males and 10.04-12.15 years in females, indicating females achieve maturation earlier than males. This research provides a reliable framework for orthodontic treatment planning.