1 George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu-Mureș, Romania
Introduction. The patterns formed during the development of our organism hide deeper connections than initially thought. Fingerprints and palatal rugae have a common embryonic origin, they are strictly genetically coded, which reflects the connection between craniofacial development and external phenotypic traits. Aim of the study. The main purpose of this study was to examine the correlations between fingerprint types and the morphology of palatal rugae. To achieve this, we analysed the gender distribution of these developmental markers and the impact of orthodontic treatment on them, evaluating the co-occurrence and clinical variations of different patterns. Material and Methods. A total of 63 volunteers participated in the research. The analysis of palatal rugae was performed on study models, evaluating the shape, continuity, direction, and length of the rugae. For fingerprint examination, an ink pad and the rolled fingerprint method were used. We classified the fingerprints into arch, loop, and whorl categories. For the calculation we used standard statistical tests, the validity was verified within the medically accepted 5% margin of error (p < 0.05). Results. The most frequent fingerprint was the loop-type (47.61%). The longest average rugae was showed in the Arch-type fingerprint group (8.90 mm). Males had greater average rugae length (8.83 mm), the orthodontically treated group showed on average the shortest rugae (8.66 mm). A statistical trend was noted in the gender distribution, regarding the direction of the rugae (p = 0.045; one-tailed test). Although we observed morphological differences in terms of gender and orthodontic treatment, no statistically significant difference was shown in the Kruskal–Wallis test for the investigated parameters. Conclusions. The research highlights the individual variability of developmental markers. It validates the differences between genders and the uniqueness of palatal rugae. The relationship between fingerprints and palatal rugae can provide important data to support a better understanding and further research of craniofacial and palatal development.