Postsurgical Volumetric Airway Changes in Class III Patients Receiving Bimaxillary Orthognathic Surgery

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Orthodontics
• Surgical Anatomy

Background:

• Class III malocclusion often requires orthognathic surgery.
• Skeletal changes can impact the pharyngeal airway space (PAS).
• Understanding PAS alterations post-surgery is vital for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess pharyngeal airway space (PAS) volume changes after bimaxillary orthognathic surgery in Class III patients.
• To correlate PAS volume and minimum axial section changes with surgical movement magnitude.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 38 Class III patients.
• Three-dimensional measurements of PAS volume and minimum axial section.
• Cephalometric analysis to quantify jaw-hyoid bone movement.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in total PAS volume, nasopharyngeal volume, or oropharyngeal volume pre- and post-surgery.
• Anterior movement of Point A and posterior nasal spine correlated with increased PAS volume and minimum axial section.
• Posterior menton movement correlated with decreased PAS volume and minimum axial section.

Conclusions:

• Bimaxillary orthognathic surgery does not negatively impact the pharyngeal airway space in Class III patients.
• Surgical planning requires careful consideration for Class III patients susceptible to airway problems.