SHAPE-COORDINATE AND TENSOR ANALYSIS OF SKELETAL CHANGES IN CHILDREN WITH TREATED CLASS-III MALOCCLUSIONS

The current study was undertaken to evaluate both maxillary and mandib ular shape/size changes in children with Class III malocclusions, trea ted with a functional appliance (removable mandibular retractor). Nonc onventional cephalometric methods (Bookstein's shape coordinate analys is, centroid size analysis, and tensor analysis) were applied to a max illary triangle (T-FMN-A) and to a mandibular triangle (Co-Go-Pg). A g roup of 30 children with treated Class III malocclusions were compared with a matched group of 30 children with untreated Class III malocclu sions. Treatment with the functional appliance produced a significantl y increased growth of the maxilla, featuring a more downward and forwa rd displacement of the region of point A and a significantly more upwa rd and forward direction of condylar growth, leading to a ''shrinkage' ' of total mandibular length. The biologic significance of some conven tional cephalometric measurements used for the assessment of both maxi llary and mandibular position and structure was tested.