A roentographic cephalometric analysis of the cerebral palsied patient

Abstract

This study sought to determine if the dental and oro-facial complex of cerebral palsied patients is different from that of the non-cerebral palsied. Twenty-six cerebral palsied patients between the ages of seven and 18 were examined. A history was taken and a data sheet was completed to record molar and cuspid relationships. The function of. the tongue and lips during swallow was also recorded. Cephalometric and hand and wrist radiographs were taken of each patient. The cephalometric measurements were statistically compared with the normative data of a non-cerebral palsied group. This analysis revealed the cranial flexure angle to be more acute and the gonial angle to be more obtuse. Comparison of the hand and wrist plates with normal standards did not show wide enough differences to conclude that cerebral palsied patients' skeletal age deviates from the chronological age. Although there was a difference in some cephalometric measurements, there is no evidence in this study to show that the incidence of malocclusion and the incidence of factors that contribute to malocclusion are found with greater frequency among cerebral palsied patients.