Association of Rugae Pattern with Skeletal Malocclusion in Orthodontic Patients Visiting Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: The palatal rugae are special constructions that are inalterable in their position and pattern during the lifestyles of an individual. This imparts them an exceptional role in the forensic dentistry and may play potential role in malocclusion identification. This study was aimed to see association of rugae pattern with sagittal skeletal malocclusion in orthodontic patients visiting tertiary care hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional examination was completed on pretreatment records (lateral Cephalometric radiographs and maxillary dental casts) of 384 subjects at the orthodontic department of Ziauddin Dental Hospital, Karachi. The study duration was from January to July 2019. The samples were sub-divided into three sagittal skeletal groups based on ANB angle proposed by Steiner’s on lateral Cephalometric radiographs (Class I with ANB angle between 0° to 4°; Class II: ANB angle greater than 5°; Class III: ANB angle less than 0°). The shapes of three most-anterior primary rugae were then evaluated bilaterally using Kapali et al., Classification. Chi Square test was applied to find association of rugae pattern among sagittal skeletal malocclusions groups. Results: Circular and curved rugae shapes were the most prevalent in all skeletal malocclusions. The primary palatal rugae pattern was seen to be significantly different among three skeletal malocclusion groups (p