Nasal airway changes due to rapid maxillary expansion timing

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Craniofacial Development
• Respiratory Physiology

Background:

• Maxillary constriction can impede nasal airflow.
• Rapid maxillary expansion (RME) is a common orthodontic treatment.
• The impact of RME timing on nasal airway dimensions requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of RME on nasal minimum cross-sectional area (MCA).
• To compare the outcomes of RME in subjects treated before and after the pubertal growth spurt.
• To assess nasal MCA changes using acoustic rhinometry (AR).

Main Methods:

• A sample of 29 patients with maxillary constriction and 15 controls were divided into early and late treatment/control groups based on cervical vertebral maturation (CVM).
• Acoustic rhinometry (AR) was used to measure nasal minimum cross-sectional area (MCA) at baseline, post-expansion, and post-retention.
• Treated subjects (Groups I T and II T) and control subjects (Groups I C and II C) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Both early- and late-treated groups showed a significant overall increase in MCA compared to their respective controls (P < .05).
• The early-treated group (Group I T) exhibited a greater overall MCA increase (0.34 mm) than the late-treated group (Group II T) (0.19 mm).
• This difference in MCA increase between early and late treatment groups was not statistically significant (P > .05).

Conclusions:

• Rapid maxillary expansion effectively increases nasal minimum cross-sectional area (MCA) in patients with maxillary constriction.
• Treatment timing (before or after pubertal growth spurt) does not significantly alter the overall MCA increase from RME.
• Acoustic rhinometry is a valuable tool for assessing nasal dimensional changes following orthodontic interventions.