Stability Of Palatal Rugae Research Articles

Stability of palatal rugae after orthodontic/orthopaedic expansion: a scoping review

Abstract Objective The palatal rugae are connective tissue located in the anterior third of the hard palate and present asymmetrically on each side of the palatine raphe. The stability and individualistic features of the palatal rugae have been suggested as an alternative human identification method in forensic medicine. However, there are different views about the tissue’s stability and reliability in individuals undergoing orthodontic expansion, as the palatal mucosa is stretched which likely alters palatal rugal morphology. The present review aims to summarise the available evidence regarding the stability of the palatal rugae after orthodontic expansion. Method Following the PRISMA-Scr guidelines, an extensive search was conducted using three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus). Only studies that had control groups were included to allow for comparison. Results A total of six studies were identified. One report did not mention the type of expansion used, another used slow maxillary expansion (SME), and the other four used rapid maxillary expansion (RME). The results related to rugal length, morphological shape, and root mean square were inconclusive, likely because of data heterogeneity in expansion mechanics, the age of inclusion, and measurement outcomes. Conclusion More high-quality research is needed to substantiate the importance of palatal rugae in forensic medicine.

Reliability of palatal rugae patterns in individual identification.

Background:Dental identification plays a major role in mass disaster identification of human remains. Palatal rugae can be used as a substitute for a comparative method of identification.Materials and Methods:The present cross-sectional study was done with 137 pre- and post-orthodontically treated casts of patients, which were divided into 50 cases each of extraction and nonextraction and 37 cases of palatal expansion involving both extraction and nonextraction. Hydrocolloid (alginate) impression of the upper jaw of the patient was taken and then cast in the dental plaster of Paris material. Palatal rugae pattern was classified according to Lysellm, and Thomas and Kotze classification. Two Observers recorded the data, mean of two were taken for analysis.Results:On the right side, there was no significant difference between the extraction and nonextraction groups; however, there was a rise in length in the nonextraction and palatal expansion groups. On the left side, there was little change between the nonextraction and palatal expansion groups, but the extraction group had a modest increase in length. Mean lengths compared within three groups revealed insignificant difference.Conclusion:Palatal rugae pattern can be used in establishing identity in forensic medicine provided antemortem data are available. Orthodontic treatment has an impact on stability of palatal rugae. Most reliable and stable points being third rugae, they could be used as reference points to evaluate tooth movements

Analysis of the palatal rugae following Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) by using a 3D-3D superimposition procedure

ABSTRACT A sample of 38 Italian subjects (17 males and 21 females, mean age 8.2 ± 1.2 years, age range 7.2–8.8 years), who underwent active Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME), was studied to assess the reliability of an intraoral scan and the stability of palatal rugae. An intraoral scanner was used to obtain digital dental models pre- and post-treatment. A 3D-3D superimposition procedure was performed, and the Root Mean Square (RMS) of the distance calculated, to verify the forensic validity of this biometric technique. The Intra-Class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) values for the overall inter- and intra-observer agreement were 0.955 (95% CI: 0.931–0.980; p < 0.001) and 0.936 (95% CI: 0.918–0.975; p < 0.001), respectively. The values for TEM and rTEM tests were 0.423 and 1.2% for intra-observer; 0.637 and 1.7% for inter-observer. Results showed a statistically significant difference in RMS mean point-to-point distance between untreated control and treated subjects (p = 0.002). The RMS values to distinguish the pooled group (untreated and treated with RME) from any mismatch ranged from 0.42 to 0.61. This methodology was highly suitable to detect changes caused by RME. Since some modifications were detected, caution is necessary when palatal rugae are analysed for forensic purposes in subjects who underwent RME.

Assessment of palatal rugae pattern and its significance in orthodontics and forensic odontology.

Background:Palatal rugae are nonidentical mucosal elevations seen on anterior third of palate. They are arranged in transverse direction on either side of the mid-palatine raphe. Although they are the most stable anatomical structures in the oral cavity, certain conditions such as expansion in orthodontic treatment contribute to some amount of variations in their pattern qualitatively. The aim of this study was to compare the shape of rugae and its positional changes before and after rapid maxillary expansion.Materials and Methods:Fifteen pairs of pre- and post-maxillary expansion casts showing finer details of palatal rugae from seven males to eight females in the age group of 10 ± 2.5 years were selected for this study with transverse maxillary deficiency reporting to Department of Orthodontics, VS Dental College and Hospital. The shape of rugae and the distance between the median points and lateral points of the first and the last two rugae on either side of the mid-palatal raphe were noted and marked. The data collected was statistically analyzed using SPSS program.Results:There was statistically significant difference in the distance between medial and lateral points of first two and last two rugae.Conclusion:During maxillary expansion, there is stability of palatal rugae with respect to its shape, number but not with respect to its position. Clinically, the orthodontist can quantify the palatal separation after expansion of the maxillary arch using the interruga distance.

Stability of Palatal Rugae as a Forensic Marker in Orthodontically Treated Cases.

The palatal rugae have been used as a reference landmark and identification marker by orthodontists and forensic analysts. However, the reliability of palatal rugae as a forensic marker remains questionable once an individual is subjected to orthodontic treatment. This study aimed at evaluating the changes in the rugae pattern after nonextraction, extraction, and maxillary expansion orthodontic treatment. The lengths and shapes of palatal rugae were evaluated on the pretreatment and post-treatment dental casts of 168 subjects using the Thomas and Kotze classification. Extraction treatment significantly reduced the second and third rugae lengths (p < 0.05), whereas the third rugae length was significantly increased after palatal expansion (p < 0.05). The shape of rugae remained consistent in all the study groups which may be used as a reliable forensic marker in subjects undergoing orthodontic treatment. However, the use of the lengths of palatal rugae in forensic odontology must be made with caution.

Quantitative and Transverse Changes in the Position of Palatal Rugae after Palatal Expansion

Background: Palatal rugae are irregular and non-identical mucosal elevations seen on anterior third of palate. They are arranged in transverse direction on either side of Median Palatine Raphe [MPR]. Though they are the most stable anatomical structures in the oral cavity, certain conditions like orthodontic treatment contribute to some amount of variations in their pattern qualitatively. During literature review, we found scarcity of articles related to quantitative changes in rugae patterns, before and after palatal expansion. The aim of this study was to compare the number of rugae and its positional changes using before and after Semi Rapid Maxillary Expansion (SRME) study models. Materials and Methods: Seventy nine pairs of pre and post expansion casts showing finer details of palatal rugae from 37 males and 42 females in the age group of 10 to 12 years were selected for this study. The number of rugae and the distance between the median points of the first and the last two rugae on either side of MPR were noted. The data collected were statistically analyzed using SPSS program Results: Descriptive statistics mean and standard deviation were performed for study group before and after treatment at T0 and T1. There was no statistically significant change in number of rugae in the right side but significant differences were noted in the distance between medial points of first two rugae and distance between last two rugae. There was statistically no significant change in any of the variables when the data from male and female samples were compared. Conclusion: During maxillary expansion, there is stability of palatal rugae with respect to its number but not with respect to its position. There is significantly more separation of the medial ends of the opposing rugae on either side of MPR in the anterior region than on the posterior.