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Updated: May 25, 2026

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy DISE with Target Controlled Infusion TCI and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Published on: December 6, 2016
Relationship between three dimensional soft tissue measures from CBCT and OSA severity in Chinese adults: A
Xin Wang1, Yang Liu2, Jihua Jiang1
1Department of Stomatology, The 901st Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, Hefei, China.
Objective:
To assess soft-tissue variables from CBCT images obtained for dental treatment purposes as potential predictors of OSA severity in adults.
Methods:
This retrospective study included 140 snoring patients categorized by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) into primary snoring, mild, moderate, and severe OSA (n =35 per group). Three-dimensional upper airway parameters were measured and compared from CBCT scans. A hierarchical regression model assessed their association with the AHI after adjusting for demographics.
Results:
Multiple CBCT-derived soft-tissue parameters differed significantly among OSA severity groups and correlated with the AHI. However, after demographic adjustment in the hierarchical regression model, only palatal length (PL) and minimal cross-sectional area (mCSA) emerged as statistically significant independent predictors (p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
CBCT revealed significant differences in pharyngeal soft-tissue anatomy among OSA severity groups. Palatal length and mCSA were identified as valuable predictors for OSA screening based on AHI.

