The effects of craniocervical posture and the position of tongue and hyoid bone on craniofacial morphology

Oh, Jin Sub; Tae, Ki Chul; Kook, Yoon Ah; Kim, Sang Cheol

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of head posture, the position of the tongue or the hyoid bone to craniofacial structure. Cephalograms taken in Natural head position(NHP) of 90 dental students (50 in male, 40 in female, 20 to 30 years in age) were traced and measured using the extracranial true horizontal and vertical lines. The obtained results were as follows; 1. There was no sex difference in head posture, but the hyoid bone was placed anteroinferiorly in male more than in female and anteroinferior inclination of the hyoid bone showed greatly in male. 2. The more inclined was the cervical column, the less prognathic was the face in natural head posture, and the larger cervical curvature, the more vertical pattern of the face. 3. The less small showed raniocervical angulation, the more anteriorly placed was the hyoid bone to the cranial base, and there was no significantly association between craniocervical angulation and the vertical position of the hyoid bone. 4. The more prognathic was the mandible, the more anteriorly placed was the hyoid bone, and there was slightly association between the crap ofacial morphology and the vertical position of the hyoid bone.