Effect of extraction treatment on upper airway dimensions in patients with bimaxillary skeletal protrusion relative to their vertical skeletal pattern

Objectives: This retrospective study investigated dimensional changes in the upper airway following Herbst appliance therapy in adolescents with Class II malocclusion and compared those changes with growth data. Materials and Methods: Lateral cephalograms from 44 Herbst-treated adolescents (23 boys, mean age = 13.3 ± 1.1 years, and 21 girls, mean age = 12.6 ± 1.1 years) were analyzed for the changes in the upper airway and craniofacial variables. Longitudinal cephalometric data of 34 untreated adolescents (15 boys, mean age = 12.6 ± 0.3 years, and 19 girls, mean age = 12.9 ± 0.4 years) were used as growth data for comparison. Results: Following treatment, significant changes were noted in most of the variables. Boys displayed greater downward movement of the hyoid bone than girls did (P = 0.021). Compared with the growth data, a greater increase in retroglossal oropharyngeal depth and hypopharyngeal depth was observed in boys and girls, respectively. Both displayed a decrease in the inclination of the soft palate and a smaller change in nasopharyngeal depth. Conclusion: Herbst appliance therapy enlarges the upper airway dimensions at two dissimilar sites in girls (oropharynx) and boys (hypopharynx). Boys display a greater increase in anterior and posterior facial heights than girls do, potentially accounting for the site dissimilarities. Moreover, a Herbst appliance improves the inclination of the soft palate and restricts the growth of the nasopharynx in both boys and girls.

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The influence of craniofacial morphology on the upper airway dimensions

The Angle Orthodontist ◽

10.2319/061014-418.1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 85 (5) ◽

pp. 874-880 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Iveta Indriksone ◽

Gundega Jakobsone

Keyword(s):

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Upper Airway ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Craniofacial Morphology ◽

Multivariate Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Old Patients ◽

Oropharyngeal Airway ◽

Semiautomatic Segmentation ◽

Airway Dimensions

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the influence of craniofacial morphology on the upper airway dimensions in healthy adult subjects. Materials and Methods: The records of 276 healthy 17- to 27-year-old patients were extracted from the cone-beam computed tomography image database of the Institute of Stomatology, Riga Stradins University. Dolphin 11.7 software was used to evaluate craniofacial anatomy and semiautomatic segmentation of the upper airway. Measurements of oropharyngeal airway volume (OPV), minimal cross-sectional area (CSAmin), and nasopharyngeal airway volume (NPV) were obtained. The presence of adenoid tissues was recorded. Associations between variables were analyzed by Spearman's correlation coefficients, and multivariate linear regression analysis was used to identify factors that had a possible influence on upper airway dimensions. Results: The following factors were identified as influencing the variability of NPV (23%): SNA angle, gender, and presence of adenoids. Statistically significant, although weak, correlations were found between SNB angle and OPV (r = 0.144, P < .05) and CSAmin (r = 0.182, P < .01). Conclusion: The results suggest that craniofacial morphology alone does not have a significant influence on upper airway dimensions.

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Effect of common airway manoeuvres on upper airway dimensions and clinical signs in anaesthetized, spontaneously breathing children

British Journal of Anaesthesia ◽

10.1093/bja/86.2.217 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 86 (2) ◽

pp. 217-222 ◽

Cited By ~ 59

Author(s):

A Reber ◽

R Paganoni ◽

F.J. Frei

Keyword(s):

Clinical Signs ◽

Upper Airway ◽

Spontaneously Breathing ◽

Airway Dimensions

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Pulmonary airway area by the two-microphone acoustic reflection method

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/jappl.1994.76.5.2234 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 76 (5) ◽

pp. 2234-2240 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

B. Louis ◽

G. M. Glass ◽

J. J. Fredberg

Keyword(s):

Upper Airway ◽

Nasal Airway ◽

Reflection Method ◽

Acoustic Reflection ◽

Reflection Data ◽

Pulmonary Airway ◽

Airway Dimensions

We noninvasively assessed airway dimensions from acoustic reflection data measured at the mouth. We recently described a two-transducer system for measurement of the nasal airway. Here we apply this approach to the measurement of the upper airway and trachea. We describe the theoretical implications of breathing on this kind of measurement and propose a new procedure that, unlike single- and dual-transducer systems used currently, does not require the use of He-O2 for inference of geometry of subglottic airways.

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