[A pathological consideration of ankyloglossia and lingual myoplasty]

Despite the curious role of tongue in the development of oro-facial structures the tongue remains as rather quiescent organ without bony skeleton. But it is said that neuro-muscular complex of tongue is important in the developmental and functional process. Ankyloglossia and macroglossia are occasionally implicated in the oral diseases. Many authors supposed that the ankyloglossia and macroglossia might produce various abnormal oro-facial growth, such as bimaxillary or mandibular protrusion and anterior open bite, etc. We have designed the classification of ankyloglossia by measuring the median lingual frenum length with lingual frenum ruler. It is well known that every people has a lingual frenum to some degree. So we analyse that the group showing less than 10mm of median frenum length is belong to mild ankyloglossia, the group showing from 10mm to 15mm of median frenum length is belong to moderate ankyloglossia, the group showing more than 15mm of median frenum length is belong to type 1 severe ankyloglossia, and the group showing clinically severe ankyloglossia but having less than 15mm of median frenum length is belong to type 2 severe ankyloglossia. We have experienced that the mild ankyloglossia usually causes no clinical complication to receive dental treatments. In the present study we investigated different clinical complications under this classification. We also recognized that the most retracted tongue position is a comparable criterion of tongue movement. The severer ankyloglossia showing thick lingual frenum is the more frequently associated with macroglossia and occlusal disharmony, and its most retracted tongue position is prone to locate high-anterior direction. Among 130 cases receiving lingual myoplasty 106 cases (81.5%) showed various malocclusions, 37 cases (28.5%) showed conspicuous speech problem, and 14 cases (19.8%) showed severe oro-facial deformity. The lingual myoplasty consists of two steps, the first is the same with frenectomy, and the second is the procedure of re-equilibrium of extrinsic tongue muscles mainly between genioglossus muscle and hyoglossus muscle. 130 cases which were belong to the group of moderate and severe ankyloglossia were selected for the lingual myoplasty, and the patients were ordered to keep on self training by the method of Dr. Lim's tongue movement. In three months after lingual myoplasty there was no relapse of ankyloglossia and the most retracted tongue position changed to inferior and posterior direction effectively (Tab. 6, 7, 8), and on gross finding the size of tongue seems to be decreased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)