Classification of the midpalatal suture maturation in individuals older than 15 years: a cone beam computed tomographic study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to classify the maturation of the midpalatal suture (MPS) in a sample of individuals aged 15 years and older.

Methods: Tomographic images in axial sections of the MPS of 289 female individuals and 198 male individuals aged between 15 and 40 years were analyzed and classified in stages of maturation (A, B, C, D, and E), stage A represents the earliest maturation stage of the suture and in stage E the fusion of the MPS has occurred in the maxilla. The Kruskal-Wallis and Student-Newman-Kells tests were used to compare the chronological ages among different maturation stages.