Long-term evaluation of the efficacy on the podalic support and postural control of a new elastic functional orthopaedic device for the correction of Class III malocclusion.

Abstract

Correlations between occlusion and posture are open to new perspectives, which include treatment of functional alterations traditionally approached separately. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the treatment of Class III malocclusion, through an innovative elastic functional orthopaedic device, allows an overall improvement of the podalic support. A 5½-year-old patient with Angle Class III malocclusion and c anterior ross bite in deciduous dentition has been treated for 7 years with a functional orthopaedic device (MSB Class III). Assessment of frontal and lateral postural plumb line was performed with stabilo-baro-podometric platform analysis, in order to record the podalic support discrepancy between feet, both in static phase and in dynamic phase. The patient has been posturally re-evaluated at nine and twelve years old. The functional device allowed the restoration of the correct intermaxillary relationship, favourably conditioning also the posture. In particular, the correction of the valgus flat foot and a significative reduction of the podalic support discrepancy between feet has been obtained. A global approach to the patient can successfully address both malocclusion and postural alterations.