Cranial base growth for Dutch boys and girls: a multilevel approach.

Growth of the cranial base in Dutch children who had undergone orthodontic treatment and children who had not is described and compared with the aid of multilevel statistical techniques. Growth changes of the cranial base (S-N, N-Ba, and S-Ba) were evaluated. The results pertain to a mixed longitudinal sample of 153 boys and 167 girls for S-N and 116 boys and 116 girls for N-Ba and S-Ba, 7 to 14 years of age. No significant difference could be demonstrated between subjects who had received orthodontic treatment and subjects who had not. The cranial base displayed sexual dimorphism in the timing and amount of growth. All dimensions measured in girls were significantly smaller than in boys (p < 0.05). No adolescent growth spurts were found in girls; boys showed adolescent growth spurts for S-N and N-Ba. Adolescent growth velocities were significantly greater for boys than for girls.