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Originally Posted by
bonerdonor
Here are some good articles that observe testosterone's effect on facial bone growth.
Effect of low-dose testosterone treatment on craniofacial growth in boys with delayed puberty
Verdonck A, Gaethofs M et al.
Eur J Orthod 1999; 21: 137-143
Testosterone used in delayed puberty improves height and craniofacial growth
Seven boys initially aged 14.6-16.2 years with delayed puberty (testicular volume < 4 ml) were compared with 37 normal controls aged 12-14 years over a period of 1 year. During the year, the experimental group received 25 mg of testosterone propionate twice- monthly for 6 months, and one subject receiving treatment for only 3 months was subsequently excluded from the study. A control sub-group was matched to the experimental group by height and genital development.
The significant differences between total control and experimental groups at the start were: height (respective medians 160 v. 148 cm); nasion to basion (10.9 v.10.4); nasion to anterior nasal spine (5.7 v. 5.4) and articulare to gonion (4.5 v. 3.9). After 1 year, only the difference in height remained significant (168 v.158; other features: 11.2 v.10.9, 5.9 v. 5.6 and 4.7 v.4.3). When the matched sub-group of controls was compared with the experimental group, the latter had significantly greater growth rates of statural height, facial height and mandibular length.
Article
Effects of the anabolic steroid nandrolone phenylpropionate on craniofacial growth in rats
Kazunobu Noda 1 *, Hong-Po Chang 1 2, Ichiro Takahashi 1, Zennosuke Kinoshita 1, Tatsuo Kawamoto 1
1Department of Orthodontics, Osaka Dental University, Osaka 540, Japan
2Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences and Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical College, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 807
*Correspondence to Kazunobu Noda, Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical College, 100 Shih-Chuen 1st Road, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 807
Abstract
Primary testosterone and its derivatives are anabolic steroids used in the treatment of osteoporosis and Turner syndrome. They also enhance fast-twitch muscle weight in female rats. The present study examines the effect of an anabolic steroid on craniofacial growth and development in rats. Five-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats (125) were divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group was injected subcutaneously with 1 mg nandrolone phenylpropionate in the interscapular region on alternate days, whereas those in the control group were injected with a vehicle, arachis oil. Rats were sacrificed at 60 and 120 days of age. Cephalometric analysis of soft X-ray cephalograms showed that chronic administration of the anabolic steroid, nandrolone phenylpropionate, resulted in: (1) about a 20% increase in body weight, (2) an increase in total skull length, (3) elongation of the maxillary and mandibular incisors, (4) an increase in the depth of the antegonial notch, and (5) downward-forward growth of the viscerocranium against the neurocranium. These results suggest that nandrolone phenylpropionate may accelerate craniofacial growth and/or induce high functional activity of the masticatory muscles in female rats. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.