gms | German Medical Science

78. Jahresversammlung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie e. V.

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie e. V.

16.05. - 20.05.2007, München

Age-Related Functional and Morphological Changes in the Palate

Meeting Abstract

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. 78th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. Munich, 16.-20.05.2007. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2007. Doc07hno072

Die elektronische Version dieses Artikels ist vollständig und ist verfügbar unter: http://www.egms.de/de/meetings/hno2007/07hno072.shtml

Veröffentlicht: 8. August 2007

© 2007 Krmpotic Nemanic et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open Access-Artikel und steht unter den Creative Commons Lizenzbedingungen (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.de). Er darf vervielfältigt, verbreitet und öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, vorausgesetzt dass Autor und Quelle genannt werden.


Gliederung

Text

The configuration of the hard palate and the pattern of its mucosa, as well as its function, undergo important changes from the late fetal period, through the newborn period into the adult age. The protuberances and grooves on the palatine process of the maxilla, which forms the greater part of the hard palate, are termed spinae palatinae and sulci palatini, whereas the folds of the palatine mucosa are termed plicae palatinae transversae or rugae palatinae in the Terminologia anatomica. Most of the case series used in studies of the palatine rugae and osseous morphology of the hard palate in different populations were adolescents and adults up to 60 years of age or rarely younger children. We investigated osseous morphology of the hard palate in infants and related it to the changes in the dimensions, configuration and the surface pattern of the osseous palate with age. Postnatal changes in the morphology of the hard palate was assessed on 68 skulls, ranging in age from birth to 90 years of age by measuring the following parameters: a) height of the maxillary alveolar process, b) width of the hard palate at the level of the canines, c) width of the hard palate at the level of the 2nd molars, and d) length of the hard palate. The length of the palate was measured in the midline, from the posterior margin of the alveolar process to the posterior end, including the lamina palatina in the cases where the skull bones were disarticulated. The configuration of the mucosal palate was examined in 168 subjects, aged from 11 to 98 years.

Before the first dentition, the osseous palate was concave, smooth and without alveolar processes. From the end of the first to the end of the fourth year of age, balloon-like osseous formations appeared bilaterally in front of the osseous palate behind the deciduous incisors, containing the elements of permanent teeth. With permanent dentition, the alveolar processes became massive. With age, the concavity of the palate diminished, to become flat with the loss of the teeth. The palatal surface displayed ridges and spines from the first year of age, which completely disappeared when the alveolar ridge was resorbed after the loss of teeth. Rugae palatinae were a constant finding in all live subjects, missing in 9.2% of the male and 5.4% of the female live subjects. Our results suggest that mucosal ridges of the palate and its osseous morphology are morphologically and functionally independent structures. Changes in the morphology of the osseous palate are clinically relevant for dental prosthetics and teeth implantation.