Is midpalatal suture maturation the major predictor of the success rate of pure bone-borne maxillary skeletal expander? A CBCT study

This study evaluated the success rate and influencing factors of the pure-bone borne maxillary skeletal expander (the ATOZ expander) in 42 patients (12 males, 30 females, mean age 18.14 years, range 7.42 years) with maxillary transverse deficiency. Cone-beam CT scans were analyzed at baseline (T0) and after expansion (T1), comparing skeletal measurements between groups categorized by “total” and “clinical success (>1 mm expansion)”. Several factors, including age, sex, and midpalatal suture maturation stage, were assessed for their impact on expansion success and patterns. The ATOZ expander achieved a 92.8 % success rate, and all skeletal measurements differed significantly post-expansion. Younger age and less mature sutures were associated with greater expansion success, while sex did not significantly influence “clinical success”. Younger age predicted greater expansion, and midpalatal suture maturation influenced the outcomes of maxillary expansion. Considering individual factors like age and suture maturity can guide personalized treatment plans for optimal skeletal expansion outcomes.