OSSIFICATION OF THE HUMAN STYLOHYOID LIGAMENT - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

We report the results of a longitudinal radiographic study of ossifica tion of the stylohyoid ligament in a sample of patients treated for mi nor malocclusions. The results suggest that the vast majority of ossif ied sites in the stylohyoid ligaments are established during childhood and adolescence. The mean length of the sites shows a fairly rapid, l inear increase with age until the end of adolescence; any further incr ease is nonlinear and occurs at a much slower rate. In young individua ls the ossified sites were predominant in the superior part of the lig ament. With increasing age ossified sites became prevalent also in oth er parts of the ligament Ossified sites in the inferior part close to the hyoid bone were more common than previously reported.