Gender-related difference in the upper airway dimensions and hyoid bone position in Chinese Han children and adolescents aged 6-18 years using cone beam computed tomography

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the gender-related differences in upper airway dimensions and hyoid bone position in Chinese Han children and adolescents (6-18 years) using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Materials and methods: CBCT-scans of 119 boys and 135 girls were selected and divided into four groups (group 1: 6-9 years; group 2: 10-12 years; group 3: 13-15 years; group 4: 16-18 years). The airway dimensions including the cross-sectional area (CSA), anteroposterior (AP) and lateral (LAT) width, length (L), mean CSA and volume (VOL) of upper airway segmentations and hyoid bone position including 11 linear and three angular measurements were investigated using Materialism's interactive medical image control system (MIMICS) 16.01 software. Gender-related differences were analyzed by two independent sample t-tests.

Results: No gender-related difference was found in values of the facial morphology, airway dimensions and hyoid bone position for group 1 (p > 0.05). The children and adolescents in groups 2, 3 and 4 showed significant gender-related differences in the measurement results of facial morphology, airway dimensions and hyoid bone positions (p < 0.05). What's more, the measurement values of boys were obviously larger than those of girls except some measurements in group 2.

Conclusions: The measurements of airway dimensions and hyoid bone positions have gender-related differences in children and adolescents aged 10-18 years. These results could be taken into consideration during orthodontic diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: Chinese children and adolescents; cone-beam computed tomography; hyoid bone position; upper airway dimensions.