Morphometric Analysis of Soft Palate: Comparison of Need’s Ratio with Palatal Variants and Gender Using Digital Lateral Cephalogram in Normal Individuals

Key Points

• To analyze morphometric variants of the soft palate and their association with need's ratio and gender in a Malaysian cohort.
• Conducted morphometric analysis using digital lateral cephalograms.
• Evaluated the prevalence of leaf-shaped soft palates.
• Assessed the influence of palatal variants on velopharyngeal dimension and need's ratio.
• Examined potential sexual dimorphism in the data.
• Leaf-shaped soft palate is predominant in the cohort.
• Morphologic variants significantly influence velopharyngeal length and need's ratio.
• Sexual dimorphism is evident, indicating differences between genders in soft palate morphology.