Changing practice: Trends in skeletal surgery for obstructive sleep apnea.

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Otolaryngology
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder.
• Skeletal surgery is a treatment option for OSA.
• Understanding trends in surgical interventions is crucial for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review literature on skeletal surgeries for OSA in adults and children.
• To describe trends and patterns in OSA treatment using skeletal procedures.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library up to May 1, 2018.
• Analysis of 414 studies categorized by surgical type: Hyoid Advancement, Genioplasty/Genioglossus Advancement, Maxillary Expansion, Maxillomandibular Advancement, Mandibular Distraction, and Maxillomandibular Expansion.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in publications on maxillary expansion and maxillomandibular advancement was observed.
• Research interest in hyoid advancement and genioplasty/genioglossus advancement has decreased over the last decade.
• Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) is the most extensively studied and effective multi-level surgery for OSA.

Conclusions:

• Skeletal surgery offers evolving and effective therapeutic options for OSA.
• Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) is a well-established and efficacious surgical treatment for OSA.
• Adult maxillary expansion shows promising early results and warrants further investigation for OSA treatment.