Morphological variations of soft palate and influence of age on it: A digital cephalometric study

Background: Digital Lateral Cephalograms are the most commonly used radiographs for evaluating morphological variations of soft palate. It is a relatively inexpensive method and provides a good assessment of the soft-tissue elements that define the soft palate and its surrounding structures. The present study was conducted to investigate the morphological variations of the soft palate and influence of age on it. Materials and methods: The present study consisted of 150 digital cephalograms of subjects aged between 20 to 60 years taken from the department of oral medicine and radiology, Sri Sai College of Dental Surgery, Vikarabad. The subjects were categorized into five groups, group A: 20- 30 years, group B: 31- 40 years, group C: 41- 50 years, group D: 51- 60 years and group E: 61- 70 years. Digital lateral cephalograms were obtained and analyzed to categorize the soft palate into six morphological types, based on the classification by You, et al. Results: Type 1: leaf shaped soft palate was the most common type, type 4 and 6 varieties were the least common among all age groups. Type 5: S-shaped soft palate was found in considerable proportions among all the age groups (6.7% - 25.8%). There was no significant correlation found between the different age groups and the type of soft palate. Conclusion: Radiographic analysis of morphological variations of soft palate can help us better understand the velar morphology and may assist in success of surgical procedures aimed for correcting deformities of soft palate.