DEFORMITIES OF THE SPINE AND OROFACIAL SKELETAL ANOMALIES

The authors investigated the correlation between the occurrence of idi opathic scoliosis and anomalies of the orofacial skeleton. The studies have been carried out on 202 subjects (29 boys and 173 girls) aged 7 to 17, presenting idiopathic scoliosis of 20 to 60 degrees. The contro l group included 640 subjects of the matching age and sex, without any signs of spine deviation or poor posture. In subjects with idiopathic scoliosis, a pathological oral finding was noted in 78,7% of cases; t he rate in the control group was 45%. Acquired oral anomalies had the same incidence in both groups of subjects; conversely, hereditary oral anomalies such as hypodontia, prognathism, primary compression and cl ose bite were found to be considerably (and statistically significantl y) more frequent in children with idiopathic scoliosis as compared wit h children having a normal spine. Thus, hypodontia was established in 10% of scoliotic children and in only 0,8% of children without scolios is of the spine. There is obviously a common genetic predisposition to the development of orofacial skeleton anomalies and idiopathic scolio sis. Cephalometric roentgenograms have shown that asymmetries of the o rofacial skeleton, when present in children affected by idiopathic sco liosis, always occur on the side of the scoliotic deviation. The secon d test group included 104 children 76 girls and 28 boys aged between 6 and 17 years, and treated for orthodontic anomalies. In this group wi th hereditary orthodontic anomalies, 58,6% of children had idiopathic structural scoliosis. The studies have shown that every child with det ected hereditary anomalies of the orofacial skeleton requires particul ar attention focused on the discovery of possible spine deformities. S imilarly, all children presenting spine deformities would require orth odontic supervision.