Abstract
The formation of the maxillary sinus (MS) is tied to the maturation of the craniofacial bones during development. The MS and surrounding bone matrices in Japanese foetal specimens were inspected using cone beam computed tomography relative to the nasal cavity (NC) and the surrounding bones, including the palatine bone, maxillary process, inferior nasal concha and lacrimal bone. The human foetuses analysed were 223.2 ± 25.9 mm in crown-rump length (CRL) and ranged in estimated age from 20 to 30 weeks of gestation. The amount of bone in the maxilla surrounding the MS increased gradually between 20 and 30 weeks of gestation. Various calcified structures that formed the bone matrix were found in the cortical bone of the maxilla, and these calcified structures specifically surrounded the deciduous tooth germs. By 30 weeks of gestation, the uncinate process of the ethmoid bone formed a border with the maxilla. The distance from the midline to the maximum lateral surface border of the MS combined with the width from the midline to the maximum lateral surface border of the inferior nasal concha showed a high positive correlation with CRL in Japanese foetuses. There appears to be a complex correlation between the MS and NC formation during development in the Japanese foetus. Examination of the surrounding bone indicated that MS formation influences maturation of the maxilla and the uncinate process of the ethmoid bone during craniofacial bone development.