Relationship between cranial base angle and skeletal classes in an adult population of paraguay

Abstract

Introduction: Many studies mention that variations in growth and orientation of the cranial base angle can alter the position of both jaws in relation to the cranial base. This study seeks to relate the cranial base angle according to skeletal classes in adult patients who attended the Dental Clinic of the Instituto Latinoamericano de Estudios Superiores in Asunción city in Paraguay, between 2010 and 2018, using lateral cephalometric radiographs. Materials and methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Skeletal classes were classified using the ANB angle and the NSBa angle of Varjanne and Koski to determine the cranial base angle. Chi-square tests were applied to associate the cranial base angle according to skeletal classes, with a confidence level of 95 %. Results: In this study, 185 lateral cephalometric radiographs were included in the study of people who attended the clinic. The mean values of NSBa angle were 128.84° ±5.17° for all classes; 128.27° ± 5.27° for class I, 129.1° ± 4.7° for class II and 127.84° ± 5° for class III. The 65.95 % of participants had NSBa angle values out of the norm, from which 87.7 % reported a small cranial base angle. Conclusion: The average cranial base angle was found to be out of the norm in every skeletal class in decreasing order for classes III, I, and II, cranial flexure being more frequent than others.