[Experience of midfacial distraction osteogenesis in upper airway stenosis]

To investigate the therapeutic effects of upper airway stenosis after Le Fort III osteotomy and midfacial distraction osteogenesis (DO).

Eleven cases (age, 5-16 yrs) with severe midface dysostosis complicated with exophthalmos, anterior crossbite and upper airway stenosis were treated by using Le Fort III osteotomy and midfacial DO from August 2000 to February 2007. The 3D reconstruction of the upper-airway from CT data was used to evaluate the upper airway volume before and after the operation. And meanwhile polysomnography was carried out to demonstrate the upper airway functional changes.

There was a 64.3% mean increase [mean, (9.13 +/- 6.94) ml, P < 0.05] in upper airway volume in the 11 cases after the operations. It showed that there was significant improvements in the indexes of polysomnography after the operations, such as apnea and hypopnea index, average SaO2, minimum oxygen saturation and snore index.

The Le Fort III osteotomy and midfacial distraction osteogenesis can efficiently relieve the symptoms of upper-airway stenosis in severe midfacial dysostosis.