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The relationship between the craniocervical position and the different malocclusions is of interest to orthodontists when establishing a diagnosis in patients. The objective of this study is to determine the craniocervical changes in skeletal Class III patients, before and after performing maxillary traction with Petit's facial mask. The research will be carried out with lateral cephalic x-rays of patients between 4 and 10 years old, using measures established by Mariano Rocabado, these x-rays will be analyzed with a digital cephalometric program before and after having used extraoral traction for the correction of this malocclusion and skeletal condition. The literature shows numerous investigations of the relationship between the posture of the skull and the spine, showing that in skeletal Class III patients there is a shortening of the suboccipital space, which can generate certain symptoms due to compression of important anatomical structures found in this space. However, no literature is found on these comparative craniocervical changes before and after patients treated with the use of Petit's facial mask. This is why this research will be carried out, waiting for comparative results, that after extraoral treatment, there is an increase in the suboccipital space, which would lead to the release of nerves, vessels and other structures present between the skull and the first cervical vertebra.

The stylohyoid complex is a bone and ligamentous structure formed by several anatomical entities such as: the styloid process, the stylohyoid ligament and the horn of the hyoid. The styloid process originates in the tympanic portion of the temporal bone and measures an average of 25 mm; sometimes it may be increased in length, a situation that may or may not manifest itself with pain. OBJECTIVE: Determinate the prevalence of mineralization of the stylohyoid complex in digital panoramic radiographs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study were analyzed 2025 digital panoramic radiographs of patients of both sexes, in ages from 12 to 92 years, in the period 2015-2016. All those panoramic radiographs were the stylohyoid complex exceed 25 mm, were considered as a mineralized. RESULTS: Of a total of 2025 panoramic radiographs examined, 1206 (59,6%) radiographs showed some type of mineralization of the stylohyoid complex. Of these 766 belong to the female sex and 440 to the male sex. The age range of the patients in this investigation was from 12 to 92 years, presenting more bilaterally (33.98%). In addition, it was found that 76% of the cases belonging to the age group of older adults, was the most prevalent. CONCLUSION: The present study shows a high prevalence of mineralization of the stylohyoid complex (59,6%), in comparison with other studies in different places of the world. The average length of the mineralized stylohyoid complex in older adults was 33mm on the right side and 32.7mm on the left side.