Age-related changes in the midpalatal suture. A histomorphometric study.

AIM

The issue of the present study was to register age-related morphological differences with reference to the mean sutural width (MSW) and the degree of obliteration (O) in the region of the human midpalatal suture.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

22 human palate specimens from subjects of different ages (18-63 years) were available for this purpose. Three sections (anterior, median and posterior) from each specimen underwent histological preparation and staining with toluidine blue before being subjected to histological and histomorphometric analysis. Two age groups (< or = 25 years and > or = 26 years) were formed.

RESULTS

The findings showed that the median sutural width in the younger group (< or = 25 years) was 211.20 microm versus only 161.16 microm in the older group. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.05). The proportion of ossified tissue in the entire suture (obliteration) was low in all subjects. At 13.10%, the maximum obliteration measured was found in a 44-year-old man in the older age group. The median value of the ossification was 0% in the younger age group and 3.11% in the group > or = 26 years. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.036). The earliest ossification was registered in a 21-year-old man. The oldest subject without ossification was a 54-year-old man. In terms of local topography, no statistically significant differences between anterior, median and posterior palatal region were observed with respect to the two investigated parameters (MSW, O).

CONCLUSION

These findings confirm that ossification of the midpalatal suture is not a valid reason for the increased transversal resistance encountered during rapid palatal expansion in younger subjects (< or = 25 years) as well as in many older persons.