3D Analysis of Palatal Morphology of Growing Patients Treated With Rapid Palatal Expander.
NCT Number: NCT06522607
Acronym: 3D_MoPal
Status: RECRUITING
Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
Conditions: Cross-bite|Malocclusion in Children
Interventions: DEVICE: rapid palatal expander
Sponsor: Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS
Sex: ALL
Age: CHILD
Enrollment: 36
Study Design: Observational Model: |Time Perspective: p
Start Date: 2024-07-17
Completion Date: 2025-03-31
Locations: UOC Clinica Odontoiatrica, Fondazione Poli.., Roma, 00168, Italy

Summary:
The aim of the present study is to assess the changes of palatal morphology among growing patients with different vertical facial growth patterns treated with rapid palatal expander.

Thirty-six patients referred to "Policlinico Agostino Gemelli" university hospital will be selected. The eligible criteria are posterior cross-bite, mixed dentition, skeletal Class I relationship and prepubertal stage of cervical vertebral maturation. The patients will be split into three groups according to facial divergency (hyper-, hypo-, normodivergent subjects). For each subject, digital dental casts will be recorded before and after treatment using an intraoral scanner. To evaluate two-dimensional maxillary arch changes, linear measurements will be done. To study comprehensively the palatal shape, a set of 240 landmark and semi-landmarks will be digitized on the palatal vault. Then, Geometric Morphometric Analysis (GMA) will be performed to compare morphological variations of the palate among different vertical facial growth pattern groups.

Primary Outcome Measures: Morphological changes of the palate, The principal aim of this study is to analyze the morphological changes of the palate in growing subjects with posterior cross-bite after rapid palatal expander therapy.

The intraoral scans of the maxillary arch will be recorded at T0 (before treatment) and T1 (after treatment). To study comprehensively the palatal shape, 3D Geometric Morphometric Method will be applied.

Pre- and post-treatment intraoral scans will be digitized using Stratovan Checkpoint Software, placing 240 landmarks. The landmark configurations will be superimposed with Procrustes Superimposition.

This method allows to focus only on the "shape". The Cartesian coordinates of the objects are referred to as Procrustes coordinates and they determine an object's position in a shape-space system where each object is represented as a point and the distance between two points represents the difference in their shapes. To determine the shape patterns of the population, Principal Component Analysis will be applied., 6 months
Secondary Outcome Measures: Geometric Morphometric Analysis of palatal vault among patients with different facial type, The secondary aim of the present study is to compare three-dimensionally maxillary morphological changes after rapid palatal expander therapy among growing subjects with different facial type (hyperdivergent, hypodivergent, normal), using Geometric Morphometric Method. The facial type of each subject will be evaluated on lateral cephalograms, in particular focusing on the vertical skeletal pattern angle.

Thus, the patients will be divided into three different groups (hyperdivergent, hypodivergent, normal) and to study comprehensively the palatal shape, 3D Geometric Morphometric Method will be applied following the same procedures as for the first outcome.

The various shape patterns of the palatal vault among patients with different facial type will be clearly visible after applying Principal Component Analysis, which explains the differences between shapes by identifying the primary sources of variability., 6 months