Evaluation of pharyngeal airway dimensions and hyoid bone position according to craniofacial growth pattern

Evaluation of Pharyngeal Airway Dimensions and Hyoid Bone Position in Children After Adenoidectomy or Adenotonsillectomy: A Cephalometric Study

Background. The study aimed to compare the airway morphology and hyoid bone position in children undergoing adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy with healthy individuals with no skeletal problems in similar age and development period. Methods. The subjects in the study were divided into three groups. These groups were defined as those having undergone adenoidectomy (53 children), those having undergone adenotonsillectomy (48 children), and the systemically healthy control group (63 children). Seventeen pharyngeal airway, nine hyoid, and four area measurements were used in the cephalometric radiographs of the children in all the groups. One-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate the children in each group. In addition, Tukey tests were used for a bilateral comparison of significant parameters. The results were considered statistically significant at P<0.05. Results. The mean age of 164 patients in the study group was 12.76±2.85 years. The vertical airway length significantly decreased in the adenotonsillectomy group compared to other groups, while the epiglottic pharyngeal length significantly increased in the former than in the latter (P<0.05). The area measurements showed that although the oropharynx area significantly increased in the adenotonsillectomy group compared to other groups, the hypopharynx and total area measurements were significantly different compared with the control group (P<0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between the three groups in all measurements of the hyoid bone position (P>0.05). Conclusion. The study showed that adenotonsillectomy operations caused more increases in the oropharynx and hypopharynx parts of the pharyngeal airway. Adenoidectomy and adenotonsillectomy operations did not contribute significantly to the hyoid bone position.

Evaluation of pharyngeal airway and hyoid bone position in skeletal Class 1 individuals with different vertical growth patterns in Turkish population

Amaç: Bu araştırmada, iskeletsel Sınıf 1 ilişkiye sahip bireylerde dik yön büyüme paterninin farengeal havayolu boyutlarına ve hyoid kemik pozisyonuna etkisinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu retrospektif araştırmaya, ANB açısı temel alınarak iskeletsel Sınıf 1 ilişkiye sahip toplam 72 birey (36 kadın, 36 erkek; ortalama yaş: 17.78 ± 1.39 yıl) dahil edildi. Bireyler dik yön büyüme paternine göre; normodiverjan, hipodiverjan ve hiperdiverjan olmak üzere 3 gruba ayrıldı. Lateral sefalometrik radyografiler üzerinde farengeal havayolu ve hyoid kemik pozisyonu ölçümleri, 1 açısal ve 10 lineer ölçüm kullanılarak yapıldı. Verilerin analizinde bağımsız örneklem t-testi ve tek yönlü varyans analizi (ANOVA) kullanılarak grup içi ve gruplar arası farklılıklar değerlendirildi (p&lt;0.05). Bulgular: Verilerin grup içi karşılaştırmalarında farengeal havayolu boyutlarına ait ölçümlerin cinsiyetler arasında benzer olduğu (p˃0.05) ve tüm gruplarda hyoid kemiğin servikal vertebralara ve mandibular düzleme olan uzaklıklarının kızlarda anlamlı düzeyde daha az olduğu görüldü (p&lt;0.05). Normodiverjan, hipodiverjan ve hiperdiverjan bireylerin farengeal havayolu boyutları ve hyoid kemik pozisyonunda istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılıklar olmadığı belirlendi. Sonuç: Normodiverjan, hipodiverjan ve hiperdiverjan bireylerde farengeal havayolu boyutlarının ve hyoid kemik pozisyonlarının benzer olduğu görüldü. Bununla birlikte, tüm gruplarda erkeklerde hyoid kemiğinin kızlara göre daha aşağıda ve daha önde pozisyonlandığı belirlendi.

Evaluation of the position and morphology of tongue and hyoid bone in skeletal Class II malocclusion based on cone beam computed tomography

Background

The aim of the study was to analyze the morphology and position of the tongue and hyoid bone in skeletal Class II patients with different vertical growth patterns by cone beam computed tomography in comparison to skeletal Class I patients.

Methods

Ninety subjects with malocclusion were divided into skeletal Class II and Class I groups by ANB angles. Based on different vertical growth patterns, subjects in each group were divided into 3 subgroups: high-angle group (MP-FH ≥ 32.0°), average-angle group (22.0° ≤ MP-FH < 32°) and low-angle group (MP-FH < 22°). The position and morphology of the tongue and hyoid bone were evaluated in the cone beam computed tomography images. The independent Student’s t‐test was used to compare the position and morphology of the tongue and hyoid bone between skeletal Class I and Class II groups. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the measurement indexes of different vertical facial patterns in each group.

Results

Patients in skeletal Class II group had lower tongue posture, and the tongue body was smaller than that of those in the Class I group (P < 0.05). The position of the hyoid bone was lower in the skeletal Class II group than in Class I group (P < 0.05). The tongue length and H-Me in the skeletal Class I group with a low angle were significantly larger than those with an average angle and high angle (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the position or morphology of the tongue and hyoid bone in the skeletal Class II group with different vertical facial patterns (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Patients with skeletal Class II malocclusion have lower tongue posture, a smaller tongue body, and greater occurrence of posterior inferior hyoid bone position than skeletal Class I patients. The length of the mandibular body in skeletal Class I patients with a horizontal growth type is longer. The position and morphology of the tongue and hyoid bone were not greatly affected by vertical facial development in skeletal Class II patients.

Determining the short-term effects of different maxillary protraction methods on pharyngeal airway dimensions

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to evaluate the effects of different maxillary protraction methods on the pharyngeal airway in Class III patients with maxillary retrognathia.

SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION

A total of 59 individuals (31 females and 28 males) with a mean age of 11.38 ± 1.24 years were included in this study.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Fifty-nine treated maxillary retrognathic patients who underwent different protraction methods were evaluated. Twenty patients treated with RME (Rapid Maxillary Expansion) made up the first group, and 20 patients treated with 5-week Alt-RAMEC (Alternate Rapid Maxillary Expansion and Constriction) protocol comprised the second group. Lastly, 19 patients on whom face masks with miniplates were applied were included in the skeletal anchorage (SA) group. Sixteen linear and four areal pharyngeal airway measurements were made on lateral cephalograms before and after treatment. Differences between the groups were assessed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests.

RESULTS

The mean maxillary protraction levels were determined as 2.7, 3.69 and 4.01 mm in the RME, Alt-RAMEC and SA groups, respectively. In the nasopharynx, AD1-PNS, AD2-PNS, PNS-Ba and PNS-Ho measurements revealed a significant increase in the SA group compared to the other groups (P < .05). In the oropharynx, PNS-Ep measurement increased significantly in the RME group (P < .05). In the total pharyngeal airway area, an increase was detected in the SA, Alt-RAMEC, and RME groups.

CONCLUSION

The most effective protraction method in terms of pharyngeal airway dimensions, especially in the nasopharynx, is the application of the face mask with skeletal anchorage. A greater increase in vertical airway length (PNS-Ep) was observed with RME.