Introduction: Facial growth relative to the cranial base line proceeds along a vector composed of variable amount of horizontal forward growth and vertical downward growth. Growth of the mandible plays an important role in facial growth and development.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was any relationship between symphysis shape and vertical skeletal growth patterns, categorized into normodivergent, hypodivergent and hyperdivergent groups using various parameters.
Materials and Methods: Pretreatment lateral cephalometric radiographs of 330 individuals ranging in age from 18 to 30 years. The symphysis height, symphysis depth, ratio(height of symphysis/depth of symphysis) and angulation of symphysis were analyzed statistically.
Results: It was found that the mandible with the hyperdivergent growth pattern was associated with an increased symphysis height, reduced symphysis depth and small symphysis angle and vice versa in the hypodivergent group.
Conclusions : The results for the symphysis height, symphysis depth and symphysis angle were statistically significant whereas the ratio of symphysis height to symphysis depth did not show statistically significant results.