Craniofacial Suture Maturation in Pycnodysostosis: A CBCT-Based Assessment of the Midpalatal, Zygomaticomaxillary Sutures and the Spheno-Occipital Synchondrosis
6 affiliations
- 1Faculty of Pharmacy Dentistry and Nursing, Postgraduate Program in Dentistry, Federal University of Ceara (UFC), Fortaleza, Brazil
- 2Division of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Ceara, Sobral Campus, Sobral, Brazil
- 3Division of Medical Genetics, Albert Sabin Children's Hospital, Fortaleza, Brazil
- 4Department of Orthodontics, UNC Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- 5Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- 6Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the maturation stages of the midpalatal (MPS) and zygomaticomaxillary (ZMS) sutures, as well as the spheno-occipital synchondrosis (SOS), in patients with pycnodysostosis (PYCD) compared with controls, and to explore their associations with age and sex.
Design: Cross-sectional study was matched by sex and age with a control group.
Setting: In a secondary care center for patients with rare diseases in the state of Ceara (Brazil).
Participants: 18 participants (9 PYCD, 9 controls).
Interventions: Sutures were analyzed using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) based on established classification systems.
Main Outcome Measures: The stage of suture maturation was the main evaluation parameter. MPS and ZMS were evaluated for fusion stages, while SOS ossification was assessed using a 5-stage maturation scale. Statistical analyses included Pearson's chi-square, Fisher's exact tests, and Spearman's correlations to assess associations between suture stages and demographic or clinical variables.
Results: Significant differences were observed between the groups in the maturation stages of the ZMS (p = .009) and MPS (p = .029), with earlier fusion in patients with PYCD, independent of age. SOS showed no significant differences between groups but exhibited a strong correlation with age (p = .001, r = .727). Associations with sex were observed only for the SOS (p < .001), indicating earlier fusion in females.
Conclusions: Our findings confirm differences in the fusion stages of the MPS, and ZMS. However, further studies are needed to better understand the influence of sex and age on suture fusion, with age being a particularly significant parameter for the SOS.
Related
- Single-cell landscape of lymphoid and myeloid heterogeneity across type-stratified craniofacial lesions in polyostotic fibrous dysplasia
- Plpp3 regulates craniofacial morphogenesis but is dispensable for establishing the midbrain-hindbrain boundary
- A Human Accelerated Region Drives Opposing Heterochronic Changes in Craniofacial and Limb Development
- Craniofacial suture complexity and digging mode importance in rodents
- Navigating the window: structural bottlenecks in avian craniofacial integration revealed by the ontogenetic patterning of shape variance
BibTeX
@article{junior2026craniofacial,
title = {{Craniofacial Suture Maturation in Pycnodysostosis: A CBCT-Based Assessment of the Midpalatal, Zygomaticomaxillary Sutures and the Spheno-Occipital Synchondrosis}},
author = {Cauby Maia Chaves Junior and Pedro Henrique Moreira Lima and Amanda Barbosa Pereira and José Luciano Pimenta Couto and Erlane Marques Ribeiro and Lucia Cevidanes and Fernanda Angelieri and Cristiane S. Fonteles},
journal = {The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1177/10556656261438345},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/10556656261438345},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Craniofacial Suture Maturation in Pycnodysostosis: A CBCT-Based Assessment of the Midpalatal, Zygomaticomaxillary Sutures and the Spheno-Occipital Synchondrosis
AU - Cauby Maia Chaves Junior
AU - Pedro Henrique Moreira Lima
AU - Amanda Barbosa Pereira
AU - José Luciano Pimenta Couto
AU - Erlane Marques Ribeiro
AU - Lucia Cevidanes
AU - Fernanda Angelieri
AU - Cristiane S. Fonteles
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/11
JO - The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal
DO - 10.1177/10556656261438345
UR - https://doi.org/10.1177/10556656261438345
AB - Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the maturation stages of the midpalatal (MPS) and zygomaticomaxillary (ZMS) sutures, as well as the spheno-occipital synchondrosis (SOS), in patients with pycnodysostosis (PYCD) compared with controls, and to explore their associations with age and sex. Design: Cross-sectional study was matched by sex and age with a control group. Setting: In a secondary care center for patients with rare diseases in the state of Ceara (Brazil). Participants: 18 participants (9 PYCD, 9 controls). Interventions: Sutures were analyzed using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) based on established classification systems. Main Outcome Measures: The stage of suture maturation was the main evaluation parameter. MPS and ZMS were evaluated for fusion stages, while SOS ossification was assessed using a 5-stage maturation scale. Statistical analyses included Pearson's chi-square, Fisher's exact tests, and Spearman's correlations to assess associations between suture stages and demographic or clinical variables. Results: Significant differences were observed between the groups in the maturation stages of the ZMS (p = .009) and MPS (p = .029), with earlier fusion in patients with PYCD, independent of age. SOS showed no significant differences between groups but exhibited a strong correlation with age (p = .001, r = .727). Associations with sex were observed only for the SOS (p < .001), indicating earlier fusion in females. Conclusions: Our findings confirm differences in the fusion stages of the MPS, and ZMS. However, further studies are needed to better understand the influence of sex and age on suture fusion, with age being a particularly significant parameter for the SOS.
SN - 1055-6656
SN - 1545-1569
ER -