To compare bone thickness, bone height, and density in the infrazygomatic crest (IZC) and the mandibular buccal shelf (MBS) associated with different sagittal skeletal patterns.
This retrospective study included three groups of which a Class I group consisted of 28 patients (24 female, 4 male, mean age: 26.46 ± 6.1), a Class II group comprised 31 patients (28 female, 3 male, mean age: 30.08 ± 5.9), and a Class III group included 26 patients (22 female, 4 male, mean age: 26.21 ± 5.3). Evaluations of bone characteristics were performed for both the IZC and MBS using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Maxillary length and mandibular body length were also measured on lateral cephalograms. One-way ANOVA, chi-squared, and Spearman’s correlation tests were applied for statistical analysis.
The Class II group showed significantly greater bone thickness at the distal root level of the maxillary second molar in IZC (
Bone thickness in the IZC and bone density in both the IZC and MBS were similar in the different sagittal skeletal patterns. Total bone thickness in the Class I and III groups and the total bone height in the Class II group showed a gradual increase from the mesial to the distal in the MBS. The length of the mandibular body may be a clinical clue to assist in the selection of the appropriate implantation area.