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The relationship of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea with head and neck posture, hyoid bone position and airway

Hande Gorucu-Coskuner1, Gediz Aksoz1, Ezgi Atik1

  • 1Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkiye.

European Journal of Orthodontics
|December 17, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to extended head posture in children aged 9-16, indicated by increased cranio-cervical and cranio-vertical angles. This finding may help identify OSA in orthodontic patients.

Area of Science:

  • Orthodontics
  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Radiographic Cephalometry

Background:

  • Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition affecting children's health and development.
  • Head and neck posture, hyoid bone position, and airway dimensions are potential factors influencing OSA.
  • Orthodontic assessment offers an opportunity to identify potential OSA indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare head and neck posture, hyoid bone position, and airway dimensions in pediatric OSA patients versus controls.
  • To determine if specific cephalometric parameters can serve as indicators for OSA in children.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study compared 35 pediatric OSA patients (AHI > 1) with 35 age- and gender-matched controls.
  • Measurements included cranio-cervical, cranio-vertical angles, hyoid bone position, and airway dimensions via cephalometric analysis.
  • Statistical analysis involved independent samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Binary Logistic Regression.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences were found in hyoid bone position or airway dimensions between groups.
  • The OSA group showed significantly increased cranio-cervical (SN-CVT°) and cranio-vertical (SN-VER°, NL-VER°) angles.
  • ANB and NL-VER angles significantly influenced group classification.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric OSA patients exhibit a more extended head posture, characterized by increased cranio-cervical and cranio-vertical angles.
  • These postural changes may serve as a valuable clinical indicator for OSA in pediatric orthodontic patients.
  • Further research can explore the diagnostic utility of these cephalometric findings in routine orthodontic evaluations.
Abstract

Keywords:
airwayhead posturehyoid bone positionpediatric obstructive sleep apnea

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