SKELETAL ANALYSIS OF CRANIOFACIAL ASYMMETRIES IN PLAGIOCEPHALY (UNILATERAL CORONAL, SYNOSTOSIS)

Why do the craniofacial bones grow asymmetrically in patients with pla giocephaly (unilateral coronal synostosis)? We obtained three-dimensio nal skeletal replicas of two patients with the condition and analysed the deformities of the facial bones. From this analysis we deduced tha t the asymmetric deformation of the facial bones in these patients was caused by a combination of three rotations: rotation of the calvaria toward the affected side because of premature synostosis of the corona l and sphenofrontal sutures; rotation of the facial bones on the horiz ontal plane toward the unaffected side caused by anterior displacement of the TM (temporomandibular)-joint on the affected side; and downwar d rotation of the facial bones toward the unaffected side caused by in ferior displacement of the TM-joint on the affected side.