Gorucu-Coskuner Hande, Al-Yassary Mustafa, Billiaert Kelly, Kiliaridis Stavros, Antonarakis Gregory S
Department of Orthodontics, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye.
Division of Orthodontics, University Clinics of Dental Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Front Physiol. 2023 Jun 16;14:1201990. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1201990. eCollection 2023.
To evaluate the dimensional changes that occur in the internasal and nasopremaxillary sutures, and related transverse craniofacial dimensions, of rats from 4 to 38-weeks of age. Four groups of twelve male Wistar rats were sacrificed at different ages [4-weeks (immature), 16-weeks (adolescent), 26-weeks (young adult), 38-weeks (adult)]. The rats were scanned with a high-resolution micro-computed tomography imaging device with 90 µm voxel size and 45 mm × 45 mm field of view (FOV) to obtain images of the viscreocranium, and with 10 µm voxel size and 5 mm × 5 mm FOV to obtain images of the internasal and left nasopremaxillary sutures. The nasal bone width, transverse width between the nasopremaxillary sutures and interzygomatic width were measured as craniofacial measurements. The endocranial, ectocranial and mean suture widths (cross-sectional area between endocranial and ectocranial borders/suture height), and suture height were measured at 5 frontal planes with 1.2 mm intervals. Outcomes were compared at different ages, and correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationship between craniofacial and suture changes. All transverse craniofacial dimensions increased significantly from 4-16 weeks of age ( < 0.001). After 16-weeks of age, the only significant increase was observed in interzygomatic width ( = 0.02), between 26 and 38 weeks. In both the internasal and nasopremaxillary sutures, the endocranial suture mean widths decreased from 4-16 weeks ( < 0.001 and = 0.002, respectively), but did not show any significant change after 16-weeks of age. The ectocranial internasal suture width decreased from 4-16 weeks ( < 0.001), increased until 26-weeks ( = 0.035), and subsequently decreased ( < 0.001). The nasopremaxillary suture widths decreased from 4-38 weeks to varying degrees in different frontal planes. Except for the internasal ectocranial suture width, all suture measurements were found highly and negatively correlated with the transverse craniofacial dimensions. The height of the sutures increased with time, with the most significant changes occurring between 4 and 16 weeks of age ( < 0.001). Although the internasal and nasopremaxillary endocranial suture widths nearly reach their final widths during adolescence, the changes in the ectocranial and mean suture widths continue into early adulthood. These results may serve as a reference for future studies aiming to evaluate the effects of functional demands on suture development and dimensional changes of the viscerocranium.
评估4至38周龄大鼠鼻内缝和鼻前上颌缝以及相关横向颅面尺寸的变化。将四组每组12只雄性Wistar大鼠在不同年龄（4周龄，未成年；16周龄，青春期；26周龄，青年成年期；38周龄，成年期）处死后，用体素大小为90微米、视野为45毫米×45毫米的高分辨率微型计算机断层扫描成像设备对大鼠进行扫描，以获取面颅骨的图像，并用体素大小为10微米、视野为5毫米×5毫米的设备获取鼻内缝和左鼻前上颌缝的图像。测量鼻骨宽度、鼻前上颌缝之间的横向宽度和颧骨间宽度作为颅面测量指标。在内颅、外颅和平均缝宽（内颅和外颅边界之间的横截面积/缝高）以及缝高方面，在5个间隔为1.2毫米的额平面上进行测量。比较不同年龄的结果，并使用相关系数评估颅面和缝变化之间的关系。所有横向颅面尺寸在4至16周龄时显著增加（<0.001）。16周龄后，仅在26至38周龄之间观察到颧骨间宽度有显著增加（=0.02）。在鼻内缝和鼻前上颌缝中，内颅缝平均宽度在4至16周龄时减小（分别为<0.001和=0.002），但在16周龄后未显示出任何显著变化。外颅鼻内缝宽度在4至16周龄时减小（<0.001），在26周龄前增加（=0.035），随后减小（<0.001）。鼻前上颌缝宽度在不同额平面上从4至38周龄有不同程度的减小。除了鼻外颅缝宽度外，所有缝测量值与横向颅面尺寸高度负相关。缝高随时间增加，最显著的变化发生在4至16周龄之间（<0.001）。虽然鼻内缝和鼻前上颌内颅缝宽度在青春期几乎达到最终宽度，但外颅和平均缝宽的变化持续到成年早期。这些结果可为未来旨在评估功能需求对缝发育和面颅骨尺寸变化影响的研究提供参考。
