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Calcification of the interclinoid and petroclinoid ligaments of sella turcica: a radiographic study of the prevalence
Author(s) -
Cederberg R.A.,
Benson B.W.,
Nunn M.,
English J.D.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
orthodontics and craniofacial research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1601-6343
pISSN - 1601-6335
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0544.2003.00243.x
Subject(s) - calcification , medicine , radiography , sella turcica , radiology , anatomy , dentistry
Structured Abstract Authors – Cederberg RA, Benson BW, Nunn M, English JD Objectives – The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of calcifications of the sella turcica, in particular, calcification of the interclinoid and petroclinoid ligaments (PCL). Design – Radiographic analysis of preoperative cephalometric film images. Setting and Sample Population – Lateral cephlometric radiographs of 255 subjects presenting for orthodontic evaluation were reviewed. The number of subjects selected for this study was determined by power analysis. Experimental Variable – Two calibrated raters reviewed cephalometric projections and scored the films using a standardized rating scale. Outcome Measure – The rating scale classified interclinoid ligaments (ICL) into one of four categories depending on the degree of calcification and PCLs as either, no calcification, partial or complete calcification. Results – Of all subjects, calcification of the ICL ranged from 39% rated as more than half calcified to 8% completely calcified. Petroclinoid analysis revealed 67% with no calcification, 23% with partial calcification and 9% completely calcified. Spearman's correlations were computed between age and the degree of calcification and between the degree of calcification for these two ligaments with a significant association between age and degree of calcification in the PCL, r = 0.185 ( p = 0.003) and a significant association between the degree of calcification in the petroclinoid and ICLs, r = 0.186 ( p = 0.003). In addition, chi‐squared tests demonstrated statistically significant associations between the presence of calcification in the PCL to the distribution of age ( p = 0.041) and between the presence of calcification in the ICL to the distribution of age ( p = 0.045). Conclusion – As calcification of these ligaments has suggestive associations with disease entities, their recognition as a variant of normal anatomy should be evaluated when assessing cephalometric radiographs.