فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Background: Considering the late ossification potential of spheno-occipital synchondrosis (SOS), it can be used as a tool to estimate age in adolescents. The time of SOS fusion is known to vary in different populations. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the degree of SOS fusion in Iranian individuals, using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan. Results: The SOS was completely open at the mean age of 7.63 years in females and 8.85 years in males. The mean age of partially fused SOS (stage 1) was 8 years in females and 10 years in males. Besides, the mean age of completely fused SOS (stage 3) was 12 years in females and 16 years in males. The results of Spearman’s correlation coefficient test showed a significant positive relationship between age and the degree of SOS fusion in males and females (r s = 0.783, P < 0.001 in females and r s = 0.911, P < 0.001 in males). Conclusion: The SOS closure degree can be applied for age estimation in the Iranian population. This study presented a method which is highly accurate for age estimation.