Changes in mandibular position and upper airway dimension by wearing cervical headgear during sleep

We previously reported that the wearing of cervical headgear induced forward displacement of the mandible in awake subjects. However, it was unclear whether such mandibular displacement also occurred during sleep. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in mandibular position and oropharyngeal structures that were induced by the wearing of cervical headgear during sleep. Ten healthy adults (7 male and 3 female) who gave their informed consent were included in this study. A pair of lateral cephalograms was taken with the patient in the supine position with and without cervical headgear at end-expiration during stage 1 to 2 non-rapid-eye-movement sleep. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for a statistical analysis. The amount of jaw opening was significantly decreased by the wearing of the cervical headgear (P <.05), although no significant anteroposterior mandibular displacement was induced. The sagittal dimension of the upper airway was significantly reduced (P <.05); however, no significant changes were observed in the vertical length of the upper airway. Although the hyoid bone and the third cervical vertebra moved significantly forward by the wearing of the cervical headgear (P <.05), the relationship among the mandibular symphysis, the hyoid bone, and the third cervical vertebra did not change. These results suggest that cervical headgear significantly reduced the sagittal dimension of the upper airway during sleep, although there was no significant anteroposterior displacement of the mandible.