THESIS ABSTRACTS
Book reviews and article abstracts
Alex Jacobson, Associate Editor, Birmingham, Ala
THESIS ABSTRACTS
Craniofacial effects of alendronate
treatment in growing osteogenesis
imperfecta mice
Jonathan E. Britton
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Introduction: Bisphosphonates have shown promise in
reducing fractures in children with osteogenesis imperfecta
(OI). To date, the effects of these drugs on the growing
craniofacial skeleton have not been investigated.
Methods: To address this, alendronate (ALN) was eval-
uated in the growing oim/oim mouse, a model of moderate-
to-severe OI. Wildtype (⫹/⫹) and oim/oim mice received
saline solution or ALN at a dosage of 26 IJg ALN per
kilogram per day from 6 to 12 weeks of age. Skulls (n ⫽ 49)
were scanned at 12 weeks with microCT to create 3-dimen-
sional reconstructions. Cranial and mandibular landmarks
were digitized, and statistical shape analysis methods com-
pared cranial and mandibular sizes and shapes between the
groups. Back-scattered electron imaging of the spheno-occip-
ital synchondrosis evaluated drug effects on bone quality.
Results and Conclusions: The oim/oim mice exhibited
significant skull dysmorphology with parallels to human OI.
The antiresorptive activity of ALN does not appear to
compromise craniofacial growth. ALN treatment normalized
FM morphology in oim/oim mice through improvements in
skull bone quality.
Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2007;132:126
0889-5406/$32.00
Copyright © 2007 by the American Association of Orthodontists.
doi:10.1016/j.ajodo.2006.09.017
Cross-sectional mandibular morphology
in high, average, and low angle subjects
Denise C. Brown
University of California, San Francisco
Introduction: A common concept in orthodontics is that
brachyfacial patients have shorter, thicker muscles of masti-
cation and denser cortical bone in the mandible compared
with their dolicofacial counterparts. The goal of this study
was to look at retrospective data acquired from live patients
by using the CB MercuRay and iCAT cone-beam computer-
ized tomography (CBCT) systems.
Methods: The collected CBCT scans were used to deter-
mine differences in cortical plate thicknesses, mandibular
126
heights, and widths in patients with high-, average-, and low-
angle facial types. A total of 113 scanned patients were deemed
acceptable. Of these subjects, 44 were included in the average
facial angle group, 35 in the high group, and 34 in the low group.
Computerized tracings of lateral cephalometric films evaluated
the facial height index and the mandibular plane angle. Cross-
sectional slices of the mandible were rendered between the
dentition at 13 locations. Each section was then measured in 8
areas including 1 height, 2 width, and 5 cortical plate thick-
nesses. An ANOVA with a post-hoc Bonferroni statistical
analysis was used with a significance level of P ⬍.0167.
Results and Conclusions: Although few thicknesses of
the cortical plates were statistically significant among the
facial vertical dimension groups, nearly all measurements for
the low-angle subjects were greater than those in the high-
angle group. Mandibular height in the high-angle group was
shorter posteriorly than in the other groups, and became even
greater toward the symphysis. Width measurements in the
brachyfacial group were greater than in the dolicofacial
subjects. No differences were found in cortical plate thickness
between the sexes, although mandibular height and upper
width were greater in males. There was a trend for subjects
aged 10 to 20 years and over 50 years of age to have smaller
cortical bone thicknesses.
Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2007;132:126
0889-5406/$32.00
Copyright © 2007 by the American Association of Orthodontists.
doi:10.1016/j.ajodo.2006.09.018
Comparison of treatment result and
compliance between private practice
Medicaid and non-Medicaid
orthodontic patients
Steven Dickens
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Treatment results and compliance for orthodontic Medicaid
patients were assessed and compared with non-Medicaid pa-
tients of similar initial severity. All 55 practices providing
orthodontic treatment covered by Medicaid were asked to submit
their last 5 Medicaid patients and 5 non-Medicaid patients of
similar initial treatment complexity. Nine practices agreed to
participate. Initial models, final models, and progress notes were
obtained for all subjects. Casts were scored by using the peer
assessment rating (PAR) index to obtain treatment result data.
Progress notes were reviewed for compliance data. No signifi-
cant differences were seen between the Medicaid and the
non-Medicaid groups based on initial PAR, final PAR, or