Objectives: The present study aimed to use CBCT in the 3D quantitative and morphologic assessment of midpalatal suture (MPS) maturation in support of its utility in orthodontic practice.
Methods: The study population included CBCT scans of 165 subjects: 78 males and 87 females aged 5-60 years old. They were assigned to six age groups: <10, 11–20, 21–30, 31–40, 41–50, and 51–60 years. Quantitative MPS assessment included MPS horizontal obliteration index (OI) and MPS total mean vertical OI. Morphologic assessment included the MPS maturation stages (A-E). Comparison between age groups and correlation between age and different variable were performed.
Results: In both males and females, the MPS horizontal OI showed significant increase between ages more than thirty years and ages below. The MPS total mean vertical OI showed significant increase between ages more than twenty years and ages below. There was statistically significant increase in the frequency of MPS maturation stages with increasing age with stage A significantly prevalent in age group ≤ 10, stage B in 11-20 years, stage C in 21-30 years in males and 11-30 years in females, stage D in 21-30 years in females, and stage E in ages 31-60 years.
Conclusion: Quantitative and morphologic assessment of the MPS using CBCT provided valuable information regarding the MPS maturation. The MPS should be appraised using CBCT for each patient requiring maxillary expansion as this will aid in decision making and predicting the treatment outcome.