Association Between Anatomical Nasal Obstruction and Maxillary Constriction: Study on Postero-Anterior Cephalograms

Objectives: To investigate the possible association between nasal obstruction and maxillary constriction using postero-anterior (PA) cephalograms in nontreated adolescents. Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study was performed by analyzing the initial PA of 92 subjects in permanent dentition (forty-nine males and forty-three females) who presented without maxillary constriction (control group) and with maxillary transverse deficiency (experimental sample), ages between 12 and 17 years. Patients with any previous orthodontic or surgical treatment of the craniofacial complex were excluded from the study. Linear and angular measurements were taken on PA cephalograms to assess nasal obstruction caused by turbinate hypertrophy and/or the nasal septal deviation. Interval estimation of the prevalence of different variables within gender groups was calculated using the Clopper-Pearson method with a 95% confidence level. The possible associations between maxillary constriction and the presence of nasal anatomical findings were assessed using odds ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Results: More females than males showed maxillary constriction, but the difference was not significant. Neither the association between maxillary constriction and turbinate hypertrophy nor that with nasal septal deviation reached statistical significance. Conclusions: The hypothesis was rejected. A deviated nasal septum could be slightly associated with a maxillary constriction. However, these results should be taken with caution due to the bi-dimensionality of the measurements on PA. In contrast, three-dimensional evaluations in a wider sample could provide further outcomes to be discussed.