A longitudinal study of facial growth in Korean children

한국아동의 안면골 성장에 관한 누년적 연구

Serial lateral cephalometric radiographs of 40 Korean children(25 males, 15 females) ranging in age from 6 to 13 years were studied by means of computer morphometrics and statistical analysis. As a result of this study, the following conclusions can be made: 1. In both sexes, the mean growth patterns of the face were very stable and the growth directions of the face were more prominent both forward and down-ward away from the cranial base(S-N). 2. In the mandible, the rotation and the 'wave-like' manner of migration were observed. 3. The size of the lateral faces in males was larger than females at 6 and 13 years of age, and the forms of the lateral faces in males were slightly more squares than females at 13 years of age. 4. The sex differences and practical means in the growth increments and growth rates during 7 years of the growth period were as follows: (1) In the total face, there was a significant sex difference in the growth increments(males $26.21cm^2$, females $23.24cm^2$) and growth rates(males $42.02\%$, females $39.28\%$). (2) In the facial surface 1, there was a significant sex difference in the growth increments(males $21.30cm^2$, females $19.19cm^2$) but there was no significant sex difference in the growth rates(males $41.35\%$, females $39.10\%$). (3) In the anterior total facial height(N-Ne), there was no significant sex difference in the growth increments(males 18.23mm, females 17.45mm) and the growth rates(males $18.44\%$, females $18.19\%$). (4) In the posterior total facial height(S-Go), there was a significant sex difference in the growth increments(males 14.61mm, females 12.98mm) but there was no significant sex difference in the growth rates(males $23.78\%$, females $22.25\%$). 5. The percentages of anterior upper facial height to anterior total facial height in both sexes were very stable in spite of the age increase. 6. The percentage of total facial height to standing height was reduced by the age increase, and the reduced rate of anterior total facial height(males $13.26\%$, females $13.75\%$) was larger than the posterior total facial height(males $9.95\%$, females $11.70\%$). 7. The correlations of lateral facial surfaces to the standing height and the weight were higher in males than females, but the level of correlation in males was in the moderate range.