Abstract
Variation in the facial pattern and effect of the rotational jaw growth on the facial proportion were studied in serial cephalometric radiographs of 40 Korean children (25 boys, 15 girls) ranging in age from 6 to 13 years. According to Y-axis (N-S-Gn) growth change during the 7 years of period, the subject who had exhibited 'wave-like' manner of Y-axis growth change within ${\pm}\;2^{\circ}$ was classified to the Parallelwise group and the subject who had exhibited Y-axis increase more than $+2^{\circ}$ was classified to the Clockwise rotation group and the subject who had exhibited Y-axis decrease more than $-2^{\circ}$ was classified to the Counterclockwise rotation group. For the comparison of each group, a total of 22 morphologic variables were employed and the data were analyzed by means of computer morphometrics and statistical methods. On the basis of the finding of this study, the following trends were established. 1. The Parallelwise group was $75\%$, the Clockwise rotation group was $12.5\%$ and the Counter-clockwise rotation group was $12.5\%$. 2. The growth pattern of cranial base was related to the rotation of mandible. 9. Maxillary prognathism was occured in the Counterclockwise rotation group and the rotation of palatal plane was occured in the Clockwise rotation group. 4. Mandibular prognathism was occured in the Parallelwise and the Counterclockwise rotation groups, especially in the Counterclockwise rotation group. 5. The degree of maxillo-mandibular divergency was constant in the Clockwise rotation group but decreased in the Counterclockwise rotation and the Parallelwise groups, especially in the Counterclockwise group. 6. There were no differences in the size of the anterior upper facial height (N-ANS) and the posterior lower facial height ((Go-Me)-PNS) but there were differences in the size of the anterior lower facial height (ANS-Me) and the posterior upper facial height ((S-N)-PNS) between each group. 7. The growth increment and the size of the facial depth was not related to the growth pattern of the face but the growth increment and the size of the facial height was related to the growth pattern of the face. 8. Proportional change due to the facial growth rotation was concentrated in the anterior lower face. 9. The most apparent difference between each group was happened in the size of the posterior cranial base (S-Ba) and the facial length (S-Gn).