Upper airway changes after rapid maxillary expansion: three-dimensional analyses

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics and Dental Imaging
• Respiratory Physiology

Background:

• Maxillary transversal hypoplasia can lead to upper airway constriction.
• Maxillary disjunction is a treatment to widen the palate.
• Assessing airway volume changes is crucial for understanding treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate upper airway volumetric changes after maxillary disjunction in orthodontic patients.
• To determine the influence of sex, age, and growth patterns on these changes.
• To quantify the volume increase attributable solely to the maxillary expansion procedure.

Main Methods:

• Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) was used to measure airway volume (mm³).
• Measurements were taken before (T0) and after (T1) palatal disjunction.
• A control group was used to differentiate treatment effects from natural growth.

Main Results:

• The treatment group showed a mean airway volume increase of 3,937.8 mm³ (+31.8%).
• The control group had a mean increase of 2,257.6 mm³ (+20.9%).
• Maxillary expansion resulted in a significant airway volume gain of 5,183 mm³ (+41.5%) compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• Maxillary disjunction significantly increases upper airway volume in patients with maxillary transversal hypoplasia.
• The procedure provides a substantial volumetric gain, potentially improving airway function.
• Further research should explore the long-term effects and influence of patient-specific factors.