CBCT study of three⁃dimensional morphological characteristics of upper airway in children and adolescents with skeletal class Ⅲ malocclusion

• Main Authors: CHEN Qiaoyun, PENG Youjian
• Format: Article
• Language: zho
• Published: Editorial Department of Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases 2019-03-01
• Series: 口腔疾病防治
• Subjects: Upper airway，; Skeletal class Ⅲ occlusion，; Malocclusion，; Cone beam computed tomography，; Ob⁃ structive sleep apneahypopnea syndrome，
• Online Access: http://www.kqjbfz.com/EN/10.12016/j.issn.2096-1456.2019.03.006
• ISSN: 2096-1456; 2096-1456

Objective To investigate the three ⁃ dimensional morphological characteristics of the upper airway in children and adolescents with skeletal class Ⅲ malformation and to explore the relationship between craniofacial struc⁃ ture and upper airway morphology. Methods Ninety cases of malocclusion aged 3⁃18 years were collected. In addi⁃ tion, 45 cases of type I and type Ⅲ were classified into three age groups with 15 cases in each group: 3⁃6 years old, 7⁃ 12 years old and 13⁃18 years old. CBCT was taken, and the scanning data of CBCT were reconstructed by the third⁃par⁃ ty software Invivo 5. The volume, minimum cross⁃sectional area, height and the ratio of sagittal diameter to transverse di⁃ ameter at the minimum cross⁃sectional area of each segment of the upper airway were measured. The difference of the upper airway between skeletal class I and skeletal class Ⅲ in each age group was analyzed and compared by group t test. Results No significant differences in the upper airway indexes were noted between skeletal class I and skeletal class Ⅲ(P > 0.05) in the 3⁃6 years old group. In the 7⁃12 years old group, the total volume of skeletal class Ⅲ upper airway (16.25 ± 3.69 cm3), nasopharyngeal segment (2.39 ± 0.90 cm3), and palatopharyngeal segment (5.24 ± 1.14 cm3) were reduced compared with the total volume of the skeletal class I upper airway (20.98 ± 6.25 cm3) , nasopharyngeal segment (4.21 ± 1.09 cm3), and palatopharyngeal segment (8.18 ± 2.02 cm3), respectively, the differences were statisti⁃ cally significant (tVtotal＝2.526, tVnose＝4.999, tVpalate＝4.908, P < 0.05). In the 13⁃18 years old group, only nasopharyngeal segment volume (3.83 ± 0.90 cm3) was reduced in skeletal type I (4.69 ± 1.34 cm3); the difference was statistically sig⁃ nificant (t＝2.053, P < 0.05). Conclusion Age is an important factor affecting the morphology and structure of upper airway in skeletal Ⅲ malocclusion.