Racial variations in velopharyngeal and craniometric morphology in children: an imaging study

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine craniometric and velopharyngeal anatomy among young children (4-8 years of age) with normal anatomy across Black and White racial groups. Method: Thirty-two healthy children (16 White and 16 Black) with normal velopharyngeal anatomy participated and successfully completed the magnetic resonance imaging scans. Measurements included 11 craniofacial and 9 velopharyngeal measures. Results: Two-way analysis of covariance was used to determine the effects of race and sex on velopharyngeal measures and all craniometric measures except head circumference. Head circumference was included as a covariate to control for overall cranial size. Sex did not have a significant effect on any of the craniometric measures. Significant racial differences were demonstrated for face height. A significant race effect was also observed for mean velar length, velar thickness, and velopharyngeal ratio. Conclusion: The present study provides separate craniofacial and velopharyngeal values for young Black and White children. Data from this study can be used to examine morphological variations with respect to race and sex.
The velopharyngeal mechanism is a muscular valve that includes the velum, lateral pharyngeal walls, and posterior pharyngeal wall. Velopharyngeal function is accomplished through the combined action of several muscles including [...]