Background and objective

The occipital spur (OS) can be described as an abnormal elongation of the external occipital protuberance (EOP); its etiology is multifactorial and may involve biomechanical, immunological, and/or genetic factors. This study aimed to determine the frequency and characteristics of elongated EOP or OS as well as the relationship of OS with occlusion in a group of Turkish dental patients.

Materials and methods

Lateral cephalometric radiographs of 1925 patients taken in 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The frequency, types, and dimensions of OS were determined based on gender and age groups. Molar occlusion and incisal bite were also evaluated.

Results

Of the 1925 patients, 679 were males and 1246 were females. The mean age of the cohort was 18.17 ±5.03 years (range: 4-61). OS was detected in 483 (25.1%) patients and was more common in males (p<0.001); 133 (27.5%) of the OSs were flat, 247 (51.1%) crest, and 103 (21.3%) spin type. The incidence of OS increased depending on age groups (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant association between OS presence and molar occlusion (p>0.05). However, a statistically significant association was observed between anterior incisal bite (p=0.001) and OS presence. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of OS sizes in males and females; the sizes of OS were larger in males than in females (length: p<0.05, base and thickness: p<0.001).

Conclusions

The frequency of OS was quite high in our cohort; it was more common and of larger size in males and older age groups. The most common type was the crest type. While there was no statistically significant association between OS frequency and molar occlusion, there was a significant relationship with incisal bite. The frequency of OS was highest in people with anterior crossbite.