The effect of Beta Thalassemia on maturation of cervical vertebrae and craniofacial morphology

This study was performed to determine the effect of -thalassemia on the cervical vertebrae maturation and craniofacial morphology of the affectd children. Twenty -thalassemic patients (10♂,10 ♀) ranging in age between 7to 11 years and matching control sample were chosen for this study. The data were compiled from lateral cephalograms. The cervical vertebrae maturation stages were assessed by the Hassel and Farman modification of Lamparski's criteria. This method was able to detect delayed skeletal maturation in thalassemic patients when compared to the matching control. Cervical vertebrae measurements and craniofacial linear and angular parameters were recorded and statistically analyzed to detect any significant difference between the studied groups. The results revealed that, there was significant decrease in cervical vertebrae measurements of thalassemic patients with strong positive correlation among these measurements. At the same time, certain linear and angular craniofacial parameters of thalassemic patients displayed significant difference in comparison with the matching control. It is important to consider these variations during diagnosis and treatment plan.