Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Characterization of the perinatal mandible growth pattern: preliminary results

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The fetal development of the mandible is nowadays quite understood, and it is already known that craniofacial growth reaches its highest rate during the first 5 years of postnatal life. However, there are very few data focusing on the perinatal period. Thus, the present article is addressing this concern by studying the mandible morphology and its evolution around the birth with a morphometric method.

Methods

Thirty-one mandibles modelled in three dimensions from post-mortem CT-scans were analyzed. This sample was divided into two subgroups composed of, respectively, 15 fetuses (aged from 36 gestational weeks), and 16 infants (aged to 12 postnatal weeks). 17 distances, 3 angles, and 8 thicknesses were measured via the prior set of 14 landmarks, illustrating the whole mandible morphology.

Results

Although this methodology may depend on the image reconstruction quality, its reliability was demonstrated with low variability in the results. It highlighted two distinct growth patterns around birth: fetuses mandibles do not significantly evolve during the perinatal period, whereas, from the second postnatal weeks, most of the measurements increased in a homogeneous tendency and in correlation with age.

Conclusions

The protocol developed in this study highlighted the morphologic evolution of the mandible around birth, identifying a different growth pattern from 2 postnatal weeks, probably because of the progressive activation of masticatory muscles and tongue. However, considering the small sample size, these results should be thorough, so identification and management of anatomic abnormalities could eventually be achieved.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Buschang PH, Jacob H, Carrillo R (2013) The morphological characteristics, growth, and etiology of the hyperdivergent phenotype. Semin Orthod 19:212–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Cohen MM (1999) Robin sequences and complexes: causal heterogeneity and pathogenetic/phenotypic variability. Am J Med Genet 84:311–315

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Eriksen J, Hermann NV, Darvann TA, Kreiborg S (2006) Early postnatal development of the mandible in children with isolated cleft palate and children with nonsyndromic robin sequence. Cleft Palate Craniofac J 43:160–167

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Farkas LG, Posnick JC, Hreczko TM (1992) Anthropometric growth study of the head. Cleft Palate Craniofac J 29:303–308

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hermann NV, Kreiborg S, Darvann TA et al (2003) Early craniofacial morphology and growth in children with nonsyndromic robin sequence. Cleft Palate Craniofac J 40:131–143

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hermann NV, Darvann TA, Sundberg K et al (2010) Mandibular dimensions and growth in 11-to 26-week-old Danish fetuses studied by 3D ultrasound. Prenat Diagn 30:408–412

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Hutchinson E (2010) An assessment of growth and sex from mandibles of cadaver foetuses and newborns. MSc thesis, University of Pretoria Academic Press

  8. Hutchinson EF, L’Abbé EN, Oettlé AC (2012) An assessment of early mandibular growth. Forensic Sci Int 217:233.e1–233.e6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hutchinson EF, Kieser JA, Kramer B (2014) Morphometric growth relationships of the immature human mandible and tongue. Eur J Oral Sci 122:181–189

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Jones K (1997) Smith’s recognizable patterns of human malformations, 5th edn. WB Saunders, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  11. Liu Y-P, Behrents RG, Buschang PH (2010) Mandibular growth, remodeling, and maturation during infancy and early childhood. Angle Orthod 80:97–105

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Loth SR, Henneberg M (2001) Sexually dimorphic mandibular morphology in the first few years of life. Am J Phys Anthropol 115:179–186

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Lowe AA, Takada K, Yamagata Y, Sakuda M (1985) Dentoskeletal and tongue soft-tissue correlates: a cephalometric analysis of rest position. Am J Orthod 88:333–341

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Nicolaides K, Salvesen D, Snijders R, Gosden C (1993) Fetal facial defects - associated malformations and chromosomal-abnormalities. Fetal Diagn Ther 8:1–9

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Oliveira FT de, Soares MQS, Sarmento VA et al (2014) Mandibular ramus length as an indicator of chronological age and sex. Int J Legal Med 129:195–201

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Perera DMD, McGarrigle HHG, Lawrence DM, Lucas M (1987) Amniotic fluid testosterone and testosterone glucuronide levels in the determination of foetal sex. J Steroid Biochem 26:273–277

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Radlanski RJ, Heikinheimo K, Gruda A (2013) Cephalometric assessment of human fetal head specimens. J Orofac Orthop-Fortschritte Kieferorthopadie 74:332–348

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Reinisch JM, Ziemba-Davis M, Sanders SA (1991) Hormonal contributions to sexually dimorphic behavioral development in humans. Psychoneuroendocrinology 16:213–278

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Sanz-Cortés M, Gomez O, Puerto B (2012) Chap. 70—micrognathia and retrognathia. In: Copel JA (ed) Obstetric imaging, 1st edn. Elsevier Saunders, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  20. Scheuer L (2002) A blind test of mandibular morphology for sexing mandibles in the first few years of life. Am J Phys Anthropol 119:189–191

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Scott AR, Tibesar RJ, Lander TA et al (2011) Mandibular distraction osteogenesis in infants younger than 3 months. Arch Facial Plast Surg 13:173–179

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Smartt JM, Low DW, Bartlett SP (2005) The pediatric mandible: I. A primer on growth and development. Plast Reconstr Surg 116:14e–23e

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Tracy WE, Savara BS (1966) Norms of size and annual increments of five anatomical measures of the mandible in girls from 3 to 16 years of age. Arch Oral Biol 11:587–598

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Berengere Saliba-Serre for her advices in the statistical analysis of our data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, EFS, ADES, Faculté de Médecine-Secteur Nord, Boulevard Pierre Dramard, Bâtiment A-CS80011, 13344, Marseille Cedex 15, France

    F. Remy, E. Verna, P. Adalian & L. Guyot

  2. Aix Marseille Univ, IFSTTAR, LBA UMR_T24, Faculté de Médecine-Secteur Nord, Boulevard Pierre Dramard, 13916, Marseille Cedex 20, France

    F. Remy, Y. Godio-Raboutet & L. Thollon

  3. Département d’Imagerie pédiatrique et prénatale, Hôpital des Enfants la Timone, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille-Aix-Marseille Université, 264 Rue Saint Pierre, 13385, Marseille Cedex 5, France

    G. Gorincour

  4. Laboratoire d’Imagerie Interventionnelle et Expérimentale LiiE, EA 4264, Aix-Marseille Université, Boulevard Charles Livon, 13001, Marseille, France

    G. Gorincour

  5. Société YooMed, Parc 2000, 107 Rue Joe Dassin, 34080, Montpellier, France

    P. Bonnaure

  6. Cabinet de chirurgie dentaire, 1 Rue Poullain Duparc, 35000, Rennes, France

    P. Bonnaure

  7. Service de chirurgie Maxillo-Faciale et Stomatologie, chirurgie plastique et réparatrice, Hôpital Nord, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille-Aix-Marseille Université, Chemin des Bourrely, 13915, Marseille Cedex 20, France

    L. Guyot

Authors
  1. F. Remy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Y. Godio-Raboutet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. Verna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. G. Gorincour
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. P. Bonnaure
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. P. Adalian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. L. Guyot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. L. Thollon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

FR: protocol development, data collection, data analysis, and manuscript writing. YG: project development, data analysis, and manuscript editing. EV: project development and manuscript editing. GG: data collection and manuscript editing. PB: project development and manuscript editing. PA: project development and manuscript editing. LG: project development and manuscript editing. LT: project development, data analysis, and manuscript editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Remy.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 20 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Remy, F., Godio-Raboutet, Y., Verna, E. et al. Characterization of the perinatal mandible growth pattern: preliminary results. Surg Radiol Anat 40, 667–679 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-018-2030-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-018-2030-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation