Incidence of bridging and dimensions of sella turcica in Class I and III Turkish adult female patients.

Mineralization of the interclinoid ligament of the sella turcica, or sella turcica bridging, has been associated with severe craniofacial deviations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of sella turcica bridging, sella turcica dimensions, and skeletal variables in 57 Class I (mean age, 27.2 ± 5.3 years) and 61 Class III (mean age, 25.8 ± 4.6 years) Turkish adult females. Sella bridging was found in three (5%) of the Class I and 11 (18%) of the Class III individuals (P<.010). The association between sella turcica bridging and manifest skeletal Class III malocclusions was statistically significant according to the chi-square test (P<.050). No significant differences in sella turcica dimensions were found between the Class I and Class III patients. Skeletal variables that differed significantly were SNB (P=.004), ANB (P=.002), and NAPg (P=.000) angles and N-B (P=.030), N-Pg (P=.003), Go-Pg (P=.007), and TM-Pg (P=.002) dimensions.