[Rapid maxillary suture expansion]. / Sutuurexpansie in de orthodontie.

Rapid maxillary expansion is a technique with an old but controversial history. Bio-mechanics and apparatus have largely involved over the years and the procedure is generally accepted. Discussion concerns only the patient age range on which the therapy is applicable. Fourteen to eighteen seems the accepted age limit. Three essential parameters determine the success of the expansion: degree of interlocking, synostosis and skeletal resistance from the surrounding osseous tissues.