Orthopedic treatment with the Herbst appliance: Do vertical changes occur in facial growth pattern?

Luís Antônio de Arruda AIDAR, Gladys Cristina DOMINGUEZ, Patrícia Lopes de Souza Alvarez GONZALEZ, Melissa Gusmão Dutra MANTOVANI

Objective: This prospective study featured 32 adolescents with Class II, division 1 malocclusion in conjunction with mandibular retrognathia, treated using the Herbst appliance, built on metal bands and crowns, with the objective of cephalometrically evaluating any possible changes in facial growth pattern. Methodology: lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken at the beginning of treatment (T1) and immediately after 12 months of treatment, with the aforementioned orthopedic appliance (T2). The Jarabak ratio and Ricketts VERT index (modified) were used to determine facial pattern at T1 and T2. Results: using the Jarabak ratio, the results showed that 27 cases (84.4%) featured hypodivergent patterns at T1 and remained so at T2. Five cases (15.6%) featured a neutral pattern at T1 and did not change at T2. When the Ricketts VERT index (modified) was evaluated, no changes were observed in the facial patterns of 31 patients. Facial type changed in only one case. Conclusion: based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that, after 12 months of treatment with the Herbst appliance, no vertical changes occurred in the facial growth patternof the studied patients.

Keywords: Herbst appliance. Cephalometrics. Facial type.

Saturday, November 23, 2024 02:31