Abstract
Background: To qualitatively and quantitatively review the reliability of palatal rugae as a tool for personal identification following orthodontic treatment. Methods: Cross-sectional retrospective studies assessing the accuracy of matching palatal rugae pattern pre- and post-orthodontic treatment were identified from PubMed and SCOPUS databases. The title and abstract of the articles identified in the search were screened for potential duplicates and relevancy to the topic of interest. The full text of the articles selected in the screening was analyzed using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quantitative analysis of the studies representing coherent data in terms of age and treatment choice was performed using RevMan software. Results: Out of 64 screened articles, only 18 articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. Out of these 18 articles, only 3 studies had data compatible with the quantitative analysis. Significant changes were noted in lateral first rugae in transverse bilateral direction (p = 0.02) and between second and third lateral rugae of the left side in the anteroposterior direction (p = 0.04). Despite the dimensional changes, observers in most studies were able to accurately (>90%) match the palatal rugae pre- and post-orthodontic treatment through visual observation. Conclusion: The accuracy of the visual matching, despite the significant dimensional changes, indicates that morphology could have potentially been the major matching factor. Thus, a combination of dimensional and morphological evaluation of the palatal rugae could potentially increase the accuracy of personal identification.
Highlights
Palatal rugae are the irregular connective tissue known as “plicae palatinae”
Significant changes in the rugae pattern could occur as a result of surgery, orthodontic treatment, or extraction of teeth
The present systematic review with meta-analysis was formulated to assess the reliability of palatal rugae for personal identification following orthodontic treatment
Summary
Palatal rugae are the irregular connective tissue known as “plicae palatinae” These are anatomical folds located posterior to the incisive papilla in the palatal anterior third. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that they are stable and show post-mortem resistance [1] until oral mucosal degeneration after death [2,3] Their anatomical location on the internal aspect of the oral cavity protects them from different environmental factors including rising temperature, palatal infections, trauma, and tooth exfoliation and eruption [4,5,6]. Results: Out of 64 screened articles, only 18 articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review Out of these 18 articles, only 3 studies had data compatible with the quantitative analysis. A combination of dimensional and morphological evaluation of the palatal rugae could potentially increase the accuracy of personal identification
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
