The Effects of Cervical Headgear on the Growth Pattern of Mandibular Condyle and on the Morphology of the Maxillo-Facial Skeletal Structures In this study where the effects of cervical headgear on the growth pattern of mandibular condyle and on the morphology of the maxillo facial skeletal structures were studied; 14 subjects with skeletal class 1 facial structures and Angle class II molar relation because of premature loss of deciduous teeth, having a mean age of 10.116 ± 0.35 years were separated as treatment group where 13 subjects with skeletal class 1 structures and normal occlusion having mean age of 10.024 ± 0.97 years were separated as controls. In the treatment group, cervical headgear with the long outer bows parallel to occlusal plane was used and total force of 600 gr was applied for 0.777 ± 0.06 years. Subjects in control group were observed for 0.807 ± 0.03 years. When the treatment and growth related changes in two groups were compared, changes in the angles SNA, ANB and Go—Gn/S—N were not found to be statistically significiant. With the effect of cervical headgear, the increase in gonial angle in treatment group was found to be statistically significiant; where decrease in gonial angle was not found to be significiant in the control group. Thus, the difference beetween the changes of two groups variable was statistically significiant. It was concluded that the growth direction of the condyle was changed backward and downward with the effect of cervical headgear.

Keywords: Headgear, Growth Pattern, Condyle