Three-dimensional Analysis Of Upper Airway In Chinese Adult Female Patients With Bimaxillary Dentoalveolar Protrusion Compared With Normative Data

Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the upper airway morphology of adult female patients with bimaxillary dentoalveolar protrusion by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) compared with normative data.Materials and Methods:30 subjects with bimaxillary dentoalveolar protrusion (G1, female, age,21.34±1.72years) and 30 subjects (control) with normal dentofacial morphology (G2, female, age,22.75±1.58years) were enrolled in this study. Each subject received a CBCT scan before treatment, and all the three-dimensional (3D) data was transferred to MIMICS 16.0. The total volume(TV), volume(VOL), cross-sectional area (CSA), the length (L), the anteroposterior length (APL), the largest transverse widthand (LTW) and anteroposterior/lateral (AP/LAT) ratio of the upper airway were measured, respectively. Besides, the hyoid bone and the mandibular body-chin of G1 and G2 were measured, respectively. The statistical difference between the two groups was analyzed through independent samples t-test.Results:1. The upper airway volume (nasopharynx, palatopharynx, glossopharynx hypopharynx volume and the total upper airway volume), the CSA, the length, the APL, LTW and AP/LAT ratio of the nasopharynx, palatopharynx, glossopharynx and hypopharynx were no statistically significant differences between bimaxillary dentoalveolar protrusion patients and normal dentofacial morphology patients (p>0.05).2. The H-X and the N-Pog were significantly smaller in bimaxillary dentoalveolar protrusion patients than in normal dentofacial morphology ones (p<0.05), but the other measurements of the hyoid bone and the mandibular body-chin were no statistically significant differences between the two groups(p>0.05).Conclusion:The upper airway of adult female patients with bimaxillary dentoalveolar protrusion was no different compared with normal dentofacial morphology ones.