Assessment of the relationship between size, shape and volume of the sella turcica in class II and III patients prior to orthognathic surgery.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSES: The main purpose of this study was to assess the measurements and shape of the sella turcica by using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to associate the data to skeletal class II and class III patients, including correlations with gender, age and measurements of the anterior cranial base. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A trained examiner specialist in dental radiology selected and evaluated randomly 95 CBCT images of pre-orthognathic surgery patients, 60 (63.2%) being female and 35 (36.8%) male with age between 16 and 57 years. All images were evaluated to determine the size, shape and volume of the sella turcica. The anterior cranial base, represented by the S-N line (sella-nasion), was also measured. RESULTS: Of these 95 patients, 48 (50.5%) had class III facial skeletal pattern, whereas 47 (49.5%) had class II. No statistically significant differences were found between class II and class III patients in the measurements and shape of the sella turcica (P > 0.05). The diameter and volume of the sella turcica had higher values in female patients, whereas the measurements of the anterior cranial base were higher in males (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Therefore, one can conclude that measurements of the sella turcica are not reliable parameters to evaluate whether a class II or class III patient will or will not need orthognathic surgery.