Letters From Our Readers

To: Editor, The Angle Orthodontist

Re: Correlations of spheno-occipital synchondrosis, cervical vertebrae, midpalatal suture, and third molar maturation stages. Evan Booth, Grace Viana, Sajjad Shirazi, Steven Miller, Terry Sellke, Mohammed Elnagar, Marlos Viana, Phimon Atsawasuwan. Angle Orthod. 2024; 94: 641–647.

We read this paper with great interest. It presents a novel approach to skeletal and dental maturation in an extremely unique way, while the clinical requirement to synchronize different growth indicators in practice is described, which orchestrates orthodontic diagnostics and treatment planning.

The authors have surely done a detailed analysis of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis (SOS) and its correlation with cervical vertebrae CV, midpalatal suture MPS, and third molar development. Together, these have made a combined marker to satisfy an important requirement of growth assessment needs far beyond chronological age only. This is particularly necessary when making decisions regarding orthodontic interventions such as rapid palatal expansion or mandibular advancement, in which the stage of growth needs to be estimated with relative accuracy.

Although the research is break-through, conducting it on a population with diversity of ethnic and geographic background would help strengthen its applicability across ethnic and geographic variations. Longitudinal studies regarding the dynamic progression of these markers would further elucidate its predictive value for skeletal maturation.

This work represents a great contribution to orthodontic science, paving the way for more precise and patient-specific treatment protocols. Therefore, we applaud the efforts of the authors and hope for continued advancement in this domain.

Muhammad Anas, Muhammad Usman Sultan

Bacha Khan College of Dentistry, Mardan, Pakistan