Cone beam computed tomography analysis of the relationship between the morphology of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis and the prevalence of skeletal malocclusions: A cross-sectional observational study

Objectives: The objectives of the study are to evaluate the relationship between the morphology of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis (SOS) and the prevalence of anteroposterior skeletal discrepancies in growing patients. Material and Methods: Cone beam computed tomography scans of 255 ( n ) patients aged between 6 and 13 years who sought orthopedic treatment, according to Kim’s anteroposterior dysplasia indicator (APDI) measure, were analyzed and evaluated using linear regression. Results: The classification of participants was Class I APDI 81.27 ± 2.01 (°) and the spheno-occipital delta (ΔSO) 0.25 ± 1.08 (mm), Class II APDI 73.89 ± 2.64 (°) and ΔSO −0.75 ± 0.56 (mm), and Class III APDI 87.22 ± 1.37 (°) and ΔSO 0.94 ± 0.80 (mm). Linear regression showed a significant influence of the predictor variable (ΔSO) on the dependent variable (APDI°) with R 2 = 0.32 Conclusion: The morphology of the SOS is related to the prevalence of dentofacial discrepancies during the growth and development phases, but it is not the only variable involved.