Supernumerary teeth in a sample of South African dental patients

Supernumerary teeth (SNT) are often associated with malocclusions. Data on SNT in the South African population are not well documented. To determine the prevalence, distribution of characteristics and any associated complications of SNT in a South African sample of dental patients. The study was retrospective, cross-sectional and descriptive. Method: Orthopantomographs of 12,005 dental patients were reviewed for the presence of SNT. The number, morphology, location, eruption status and orientation of SNT were assessed. Associated orthodontic problems were noted. The prevalence rate was 2.48%. No sexual dimorphism in the distribution of SNT was noted. Types of SNT tabulated were: supplementary, conical, tuberculate and odontoma. Maxilla demonstrated a higher predilection for SNT. Variation in the distribution of SNT in the anterior, premolar and molar regions in each jaw and across jaws was statistically significant. Relationship of eruption status to the morphology and orientation of SNT was of significance. Malocclusions noted were displacement and impaction of adjacent teeth. From an orthodontic perspective, presence of SNT may compromise tooth movement and space closure in patients. Additionally, as majority of SNT in this population were in the maxillary molar and mandibular premolar regions, caution is advised when planning the placement of orthodontic implants in these regions

Root and canal morphology of the mandibular first molar: A micro-computed tomography-focused observation of literature with illustrative cases. Part 1: External root morphology

The mandibular first molar often requires endodontic intervention, which can be challenging and complex with several variants in the number of canals and roots. Usually, these teeth have a single mesial and distal root, but variants and anomalies have been noted. The incidence of the number of roots can differ between populations. For instance, up to a third of East Asians present with a third root, while the global prevalence is 8.9%. One- and four-rooted first molar teeth are seldom encountered. Over the years different methods have been used to study root and canal morphology, but micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) has provided a non-invasive method to study root and canal morphology in high definition. This paperis the first of two giving an overview of available literature on various aspects of the external and internal root andcanal morphology of the mandibular first permanent molar. The aim is to provide an overview of relevant aspects of the external root morphology of the mandibular first molar in different populations. The content is supported by illustrative micro-CT images and a report on clinical cases where anomalies have been treated

Analysis of the hard-tissue menton shape variation in adult South Africans using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE : In forensic anthropology, the biological profile is based on human variation and can help in the process of personal identification. In order to better understand shape variation of the mental region, this study analyzed the influence of population affinity and sex on the menton in adult black and white South Africans, using geometric morphometric methods (GMM). MATERIALS AND METHODS : We used cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of 291 adult dental patients with dentition patterns up to Eichner Index B3, retrospectively collected from the Oral and Dental Hospital, University of Pretoria. We placed eleven standard craniometric landmarks on the menton, mandible, and maxilla of threedimensional (3D) reconstructions by automatic landmarking and analyzed them by applying GMM. In addition, a subtle shape matrix of seven landmarks was created for a focused analysis of the menton only. Finally, we tested the reproducibility of the landmarks placement with a dispersion analysis. RESULTS : The landmarks used in this study were reproducible, with an overall dispersion of less than 1 mm. Population affinity significantly influenced menton shape, with P-values = 0.001 in the complete sample and within the sex groups. Differences between sexes for these seven landmarks were also statistically significant (Pvalues between 0.001 to 0.003) in the complete sample, but not within population groups in isolation. The accuracy for estimation of population affinity by discriminant function analysis was 86.9%. CONCLUSION : The use of automatic landmarking improved landmark reproducibility. Population affinity and sexual dimorphism significantly influenced menton shape. However, shape analysis, including all eleven landmarks, was not significantly influenced by sex. This study supports further research focusing on the facial approximations for forensic identification in South Africa.UP Postgraduate Bursary and the Bakeng se Afrika funding.https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/forensic-imagingam2024AnatomySDG-03:Good heatlh and well-bein

Repeatability of a morphoscopic sex estimation technique for the mental eminence on micro-focus X-ray computed tomography models

Objectives Walker's sex estimation method is based on five morphoscopic features of the human skull. This study aimed at testing the repeatability of one of the five traits, the mental eminence, visually on three-dimensional (3D) models, compared to the traditional, tactile scoring approach on bone. Materials and methods The sample comprised 105 mandibles from the Pretoria Bone Collection and their respective virtual 3D models, obtained from micro-focus X-ray computed tomography (micro-XCT) scans. Four observers independently scored the bones first, followed by the virtual 3D modality. Intra- and interobserver errors (interOE and intraOE) were performed with Fleiss’ and Cohen's Kappa, respectively. We calculated the intermodality agreement per observer with Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests. Results The intraOE was moderate on bone (κ=0.448) and substantial on 3D (κ=0.799), while the Fleiss’ Kappa test for the interOE resulted in slight agreement both on bone (κ=0.163) and 3D (κ=0.169) irrespective of level of experience. All Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test P-values were significant. Discussion and conclusion The application of the morphoscopic sex estimation for the mental eminence to micro-XCTs could be a matter of personal affinity as the level of experience did not play a role in the results. The expression of the mental eminence trait being population-specific, the individual's population affinity should be considered when sex is estimated in South African skeletons. It remains unclear whether the slight agreement between observers is due to the unreliability of the trait for sex estimation or whether the modalities are not easily interchangeable

The SKX 1084 hominin patella from Swartkrans Member 2, South Africa: An integrated analysis of its outer morphology and inner structure

SKX 1084 is an isolated partial patella from Swartkrans Member 2, South Africa, attributed to a small-bodied Paranthropus robustus. This study provides complementary information on its outer conformation and, for the first time for a fossil hominin patella, documents its inner structure in the perspective of adding biomechanically-related evidence to clarify its identity. We used X-ray micro-tomography to investigate SKX 1084 and to extract homologous information from a sample of 12 recent human, one Neanderthal, and two adult Pan, patellae. We used geometric morphometrics to compare the outer equatorial contours. In SKX 1084, we identified two cancellous bony spots suitable for textural assessment (trabecular bone volume fraction, trabecular thickness, degree of anisotropy), and two related virtual slices for measuring the maximum cortico-trabecular thickness (CTT) of the articular surface. SKX 1084 shows a more complex articular shape than that for Pan, but still simpler than typical in Homo sapiens. At all sites, its CTT is thinner compared to Pan and approaches the condition in humans. This is also true for the expanded volume of the cancellous network. However, at both investigated spots, SKX 1084 is systematically intermediate between Homo and Pan for trabecular bone volume fraction and trabecular thickness, a pattern already shown in previous analyses on other Paranthropus postcranial remains. In the absence of any structural signal from patellae unambiguously sampling Paranthropus, as well as of comparable evidence extracted from specimens representing early Homo, our results do not allow rejection of the original taxonomic attribution of SKX 1084

The TM 1517 odontoskeletal assemblage from Kromdraai B, South Africa, and the maturational pattern of Paranthropus robustus

The holotype of Paranthropus robustus was discovered by R. Broom in 1938 in an outcrop of bone breccia at the cave site of Kromdraai B, in Gauteng, South Africa [1]. It consists of the left half of a cranium (TM 1517a) and an associated right mandibular corpus (TM 1517b), both bearing teeth, and of seven isolated teeth (a LLP3, a LLP4 and the series URP3-M3 labelled as TM 1517c). A few weeks later, close to the block containing the cranial remains, Broom identified four postcranial elements: the distal end of a right humerus (TM 1517g), the partial proximal end of a right ulna (TM 1517e), and two toe bones (TM 1517k and TM 1517o), all at the time attributed to the same young individual represented by the cranial remains. However, the distal foot phalanx TM 1517o was subsequently attributed to a baboon. While the holotype has been variously referred to as a 'young female', a 'young adult', as 'probably male and immature', or as a 'late adolescent', it certainly represents a dentally immature individual. Since these early descriptions, no study has explored the possibility that the associated postcranial remains preserve evidence of active bone growth or recent epiphyseal closure. Clearly, however, such information would either strengthen, or challenge the idea that the craniodental and postcranial remains belong to a single P. robustus individual and, importantly, might provide the first evidence about the odontoskeletal maturational pattern of this fossil taxon. Accordingly, we performed a micro-XCT-based study aimed at characterising the inner structure of the distal humerus TM 1517g, the proximal ulna TM 1517e and the distal hallucial phalanx TM 1517k. Our 2-3D analyses show that the distal humerus was likely completely fused, while the proximal ulna still displays a faint remnant of fusion, and the distal hallucial phalanx shows evidence of still growing bone. These findings, as well as the observation that the distal humerus and the proximal ulna fit anatomically and morpho-dimensionally [2], provide support for the original attribution of the cranial and the three postcranial remains from Kromdraai B to a single individual representing the P. robustus type specimen. Using extant human dental standards, the age at death estimate of TM 1517 is of 16.5±3 years if based on the LM2 (not fully closed distal apices) and LM3 root developmental stages (root formation stage between half and three-quarters completed). The skeletal age ranges between 14 and 18 years, for a male, and between 11 and 15 years, for a female individual. When a chimpanzee dental growth pattern is considered, TM 1517 fits the c. 10.5 years 'older juvenile' group [3], while chimpanzee skeletal maturity standards place it between 7.95 and 13.5 years. Interestingly, in humans fusion of the distal hallucial phalanx commonly slightly precedes that of the distal humerus. However, a sequence of distal humerus-distal hallucial phalanx-proximal ulna fusion, as displayed by TM 1517, is usually observed in Pan. Taken together, this new evidence for TM 1517 more closely resembles the chimpanzee condition for maturational patterning. This finding is broadly in line with the evidence observed for Australopithecus sediba [4] and Homo erectus from Nariokotome [5]. Nevertheless, since P. robustus seems characterised by sexual bimaturism (with the males experiencing prolonged growth), the uncertain sex attribution of TM 1517 still represents a limiting interpretative factor

Shape analysis of the nasal complex among South African groups from CBCT scans

Three-dimensional (3D) anatomical extraction techniques could help the forensic anthropologist in a precise and inclusive assessment of biological phenotypes for the development of facial reconstruction methods. In this research, the nose morphology and the underlying hard tissue of two South African populations were studied. To this end, a 3D computer-assisted approach based on an automated landmarking workflow was used to generate relevant 3D anatomical components, and shape discrepancies were investigated using a data set of 200 cone-beam computer tomography (CBCT) scans. The anatomical landmarks were placed on the external nose and the mid-facial skeleton (the nasal bones, the anterior nasal aperture, the zygoma, and the maxilla). Shape differences related to population affinity, sex, age, and size were statistically evaluated and visualised using geometric morphometric methods. Population affinity, sexual dimorphism, age, and size affect the nasal complex morphology. Shape variation in the mid-facial region was significantly influenced by population affinity, emphasising that shape variability was specific to the two population groups, along with the expression of sexual dimorphism and the effect of ageing. In addition, nasal complex shape and correlations vary greatly between white and black South Africans, highlighting a need for reliable population-specific 3D statistical nose prediction algorithms. Significance: • 3D anatomical structures were acquired and extracted from 200 CBCT scans of modern South Africans. • Geometric morphometric methods were applied. • Soft- and hard-tissue nasal complex morphology vary across South African groups

Inner structural organization of the distal humerus in Paranthropus and Homo

The taxonomic attribution of isolated hominin distal humeri has been a matter of uncertainty and disagreement notwithstanding their relative abundance in the fossil record. Four taxonomically-based morphotypes, respectively representing P. boisei, P. robustus, non-erectus early Homo and H. erectus, have been identified based on the cross-sectional outer shape variation of an assemblage of Plio-Pleistocene eastern and southern African specimens (Lague, 2015). However, the existence of possible differences between Paranthropus and Homo in the inner structural organisation at this skeletal site remains unexplored. We used noninvasive imaging techniques to tentatively characterize the endostructural organization of five early Pleistocene distal humeri from South Africa (TM 1517g, SK 24600, SKX 10924, SKX 34805) and Ethiopia (Gombore IB), which have been variably attributed to Paranthropus or Homo. While the investigated specimens reveal diverse degrees of inner preservation related to their taphonomic and diagenetic history, in all but SK 24600 from Swartkrans we could comparatively assess some geometric properties at the most distal cross-sectional level (%CA, Ix/Iy, Imax/Imin) and quantify cortical bone thickness topographic variation across the preserved shaft portions by means of a 2-3D Relative Cortical Thickness index. Whenever possible, we also provided details about the site-specific organization of the cancellous network and measured the same parameters in a comparative sample of twelve adult extant humans. For most features, our results indicate two main patterns: the first includes the specimens TM 1517g, SKX 10924 and SKX 34805, while the second endostructural morphotype sets apart the robust Homo aff. erectus Gombore IB specimen from Melka Kunture, which more closely resembles the condition displayed by our comparative human sample. Notably, marked differences in the amount and pattern of proximodistal cortical bone distribution have been detected between Gombore IB and SKX 34805 from Swartkrans. Given its discordant outer and inner signatures, we conclude that the taxonomic status of SKX 34805 deserves further investigations

A geometric morphometric approach to the study of variation of shovel-shaped incisors

International audienc

A geometric morphometric approach to the study of variation of shovel-shaped incisors

Objectives: The scoring and analysis of dental nonmetric traits are predominantly accomplished by using the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS), a standard protocol based on strict definitions and three‐dimensional dental plaques. However, visual scoring, even when controlled by strict definitions of features, visual reference, and the experience of the observer, includes an unavoidable part of subjectivity. In this methodological contribution, we propose a new quantitative geometric morphometric approach to quickly and efficiently assess the variation of shoveling in modern human maxillary central incisors (UI1). Materials and methods: We analyzed 87 modern human UI1s by means of virtual imaging and the ASU‐UI1 dental plaque grades using geometric morphometrics by placing semilandmarks on the labial crown aspect. The modern human sample was composed of individuals from Europe, Africa, and Asia and included representatives of all seven grades defined by the ASUDAS method. Results: Our results highlighted some limitations in the use of the current UI1 ASUDAS plaque, indicating that it did not necessarily represent an objective gradient of expression of a nonmetric tooth feature. Rating of shoveling tended to be more prone to intra‐ and interobserver bias for the highest grades. In addition, our analyses suggest that the observers were strongly influenced by the depth of the lingual crown aspect when assessing the shoveling. Discussion: In this context, our results provide a reliable and reproducible framework reinforced by statistical results supporting the fact that open scale numerical measurements can complement the ASUDAS method