A CEPHALOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE MORPHOLOGY AND SIZE OF SELLA TURCICA IN NIGERIANS WITH NORMAL AND BIMAXILLARY INCISOR PROTRUSION.

Background: It has been suggested that bimaxillary protruded anterior teeth may be related to the sella turcica anatomically and embryologically through their common progenitors.

Aim: This study assessed the morphological variations and linear dimensions of sella turcica in a Nigerian population with normal and bimaxillary protruded teeth.

Methodology: Lateral cephalometric radiographs of orthodontic patients were assessed. Sixty-five randomly selected radiographs of patients with bimaxillary proclination were compared with 52 radiographs of normal incisor relationship subjects. Cephalometric landmarks and dimensions of sella turcica were identified and traced manually and measured. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, (SPSS version 16.0 for windows, SPSS Inc, Chicago). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used and significance level was set at P<0.05.

Results: Sella turcica with normal morphology accounted for 61.5% in the population while the least was sella turcica bridge with only 6%. The sella turcica dimensions were consistently larger in young adults than the adolescents, however, no statistically significant difference was reported in its length and diameter (p>0.05) except for the depth (p<0.05). Similarly, there were no statistically significant differences in sella turcica dimensions in relation to gender and incisor relationship.

Conclusion: The prevalence of normal morphology of sella turcica in the population was 61.5%. There was no statistically significant difference in sella turcica dimensions between normal and bimaxillary protrusion subjects (p>0.05). Similarly, no significant differences in dimensions were observed in gender and age groups (p>0.05) except for the depth of sella turcica that was significantly larger in young adults (p<0.05).