INTRODUCTION: the involvement of TMJ through degenerative changes and displacements of the articular disc proved to be an important risk factor when identifying individuals with vertical facial growth patterns. PURPOSES: to evaluate differences between cephalometric variables in children with articular TMD and a control group, checking the variations in relation to the different patterns of malocclusion (Class I, II and III). METHOD: the study included children and adolescents of up to a maximum age of 17, who were divided up into an experimental group (n=30) diagnosed with articular TMD, diagnosed in accordance with the RDC/TMD axis I for children and adolescents, and a control group (n=30) without TMD, further paired by gender, stage of cervical vertebral skeletal maturity and class of malocclusion. Lateral cephalogram was carried out and both the craniofacial structures and their relations were separated into: the cranial base, maxillary, mandible, intermaxillary relations, vertical skeletal relations and dental relations. The differences found between the means, for each of the variables, were evaluated through the application of the Student t statistical test for independent samples. RESULTS: the Class I experimental group presented increased S.N.Ar (p=0.05). The Class II experimental group presented reduced S.N.Ar (p=0.006) and NperpA (p=0.037) and increased S.Ar.Go (p=0.045). The Class III experimental group presented increased N.A.P (p=0.045), 1.NB (p=0.001) and 1-NB (p=0.017) and reduced 1.1 (p=0.004). CONCLUSION: differences were more significant in those patients who presented Class II and III malocclusions.
Skeletal pattern; TMD; Malocclusion
