This document discusses several theories of craniofacial growth and development:
- Sicher's sutural dominance theory proposed that sutures between bones force them apart, allowing appositional growth along bone borders. However, growth still occurs without sutures.
- Scott's nasal septum/cartilaginous theory argued that the nasal septum cartilage controls maxillary growth, while synchondroses elongate the cranial base and condylar cartilage controls mandibular growth.
- Moss' functional matrix theory proposed that genetic coding is outside bones, which grow in response to intrinsic growth of surrounding tissues like muscles.
- Petrovic's servosystem theory viewed craniofacial