Three-dimensional pharyngeal airway space changes after bimaxillary advancement

Thaís Lima ROCHA, Ludmila LIMA, Arnaldo PINZAN, Eduardo SANT’ANA, Renato Luiz Maia NOGUEIRA, Caroline Nemetz BRONFMAN, Guilherme JANSON,

Introduction: The probability of improvement in the upper air- way space (UAS) with orthognathic surgery should be considered during the surgical-orthodontic treatment decision, providing not only an esthetic, but also a functional benefit for the patient. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 3D changes in the upper airway space after maxillomandibular ad- vancement surgery (MMA). Methods: A retrospective analysis of 56 patients, 21 male and 35 female, with a mean age of 35.8 ± 10.7 years, who underwent MMA was performed. Pre- and postoperative cone-beam com- puted tomography scans (CBCT) were obtained for each patient, and the changes in the UAS were compared using Dolphin Im- aging 11.7 software. Two parameters of the pharyngeal airway space (PAS) were measured: airway volume (AV) and minimum axial area (MAA). Paired t-test was used to compare the data between T0 and T1 , at 5% significance level. Results: There was a statistically significant increase in the UAS. Bimaxillary advancement surgery increased the AV and the MAA, on average, by 73.6 ± 74.75% and 113.5 ± 123.87%, re- spectively. Conclusion: MMA surgery tends to cause significant increase in the UAS; however, this increase is largely variable.

Keywords: Bimaxillary advancement. Orthognathic surgery. Upper airway space. Cone-beam computed tomography. Obstructive sleep apnea.

How to cite: Rocha TL, Lima L, Pinzan A, Sant’Ana E, Nogueira RLM, Bronfman CN, Janson G. Three-dimensional pharyngeal airway space changes after bimaxillary advancement. Dental Press J Orthod. 2021;26(5):e2119364.

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