Three-dimensional oropharyngeal airway changes after facemask therapy using low-dose computed tomography: a clinical...

This study aimed to evaluate the short-term oropharyngeal airway volumetric changes in growing Class III maxillary-deficient patients treated by facemask without expansion compared with untreated Class III controls, using low-dose computed tomography.

Eighteen maxillary-deficient children (9 boys, nine girls) with a mean age of 7.81 ± 0.84 years were treated with maxillary bonded bite block and facemask (FM). Pre- (T1) and post-treatment (T2) low-dose CT images were acquired. Sixteen untreated Class III patients with a mean age of 7.03 ± 0.56 years had previously two low-dose CT scans within a one year of follow-up. Volumetric and minimal cross-sectional area measurements were obtained to assess the oropharyngeal airway changes. Quantitative mean, minimum, and maximum displacement of superimposed 3D models were estimated from a point-based analysis. Paired-samples t-tests were used for the intragroup comparisons, and an independent samples t-test and the Mann-Whitney U tests were carried out for the intergroup comparisons.

A statistically significant increase in the total and retropalatal volumes oropharyngeal airway volume were observed in the control group (302.23 ± 345.58 and 145.73 ± 189.22 mm³, respectively). In the FM group, statistically significant increases in the total and retropalatal volumes were observed (738.86 ± 1109.37 mm³ and 388.63 ± 491.44 mm³, respectively). However, no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups, except for the maximum part analysis which was significantly greater in the FM group (p = 0.007).

FM therapy appeared to have no additional effects on the oropharyngeal airway other than those induced by growth.