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Published on: May 6, 2014
Three-dimensional analysis of pharyngeal airway in preadolescent children with different anteroposterior skeletal
Yoon-Ji Kim1, Ji-Suk Hong, Yong-In Hwang
1Resident, Department of Orthodontics, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Children with a retrognathic mandible have significantly smaller pharyngeal airway volumes compared to those with normal craniofacial growth. This finding highlights the importance of assessing airway morphology in pediatric skeletal discrepancies.
Area of Science:
- Orthodontics and Craniofacial Biology
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Radiology
Background:
- Early diagnosis of skeletal discrepancies in growing patients is crucial for normal craniofacial growth and treatment stability.
- Assessing functional factors and understanding etiology are vital for successful outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare 3D pharyngeal airway volumes in children with retrognathic mandibles versus those with normal craniofacial growth.
- To investigate correlations between cephalometric variables and airway morphology in these children.
Main Methods:
- Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were used to measure 3D airway volume and cross-sectional areas in 27 healthy children.
- Subjects were divided into two groups based on ANB angle: Group I (2° ≤ ANB ≤ 5°) and Group II (ANB > 5°).
- Cephalometric variables, airway volumes, and cross-sectional measurements were compared between groups.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant differences were observed in posterior nasal plane height, pogonion to nasion perpendicular distance, ANB angle, mandibular body length, facial convexity, and total airway volume.
- Total airway volume was significantly larger in Group I (normal ANB) compared to Group II (retrognathic mandible).
- No significant differences were found in the cross-sectional areas or volumetric measurements of specific airway subregions between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Children with a retrognathic mandible exhibit significantly smaller mean total pharyngeal airway volumes compared to those with a normal anteroposterior skeletal relationship.
- While total airway volume differs, specific subregion volumes of the airway did not show statistically significant variations between the groups.
Introduction:
In growing patients with skeletal discrepancies, early diagnosis, evidence-based explanations of etiology, and assessment of functional factors can be vital for the restoration of normal craniofacial growth and the stability of the treatment results. The aims of our study were to compare the 3-dimensional pharyngeal airway volumes in healthy children with a retrognathic mandible and those with normal craniofacial growth, and to investigate possible significant relationships and correlations among the studied cephalometric variables and the airway morphology in these children.
Methods:
Three-dimensional airway volume and cross-sectional areas of 27 healthy children (12 boys, 15 girls; mean age, 11 years) were measured by using cone-beam computed tomography volume scans, and 2-dimensional lateral cephalograms were created and analyzed. The subjects were divided into 2 groups based on their ANB angles (group I: 2 degrees < or = ANB < or = 5 degrees ; group II: ANB >5 degrees ), and cephalometric variables, airway volumes, and cross-sectional measurements were compared.
Results:
There were statistically significant differences in the following parameters: height of the posterior nasal plane (P <0.05), pogonion to nasion perpendicular distance (P <0.01), ANB angle (P <0.01), mandibular body length (P <0.01), facial convexity (P <0.01), and total airway volume (P <0.05). No statistically significant differences between the 2 groups were found in the cross-sectional area and the volumetric measurements of the various sections of the airway except for total airway volume, which had larger values in group I (P <0.05).
Conclusions:
The mean total airway volume, extending from the anterior nasal cavity and the nasopharynx to the epiglottis, in retrognathic patients was significantly smaller than that of patients with a normal anteroposterior skeletal relationship. On the other hand, differences in volume measurements of the 4 subregions of the airway were not statistically significant between the 2 groups.
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