Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Feb;52(3):20220346.
doi: 10.1259/dmfr.20220346. Epub 2023 Jan 25.

Correlation between the three-dimensional maxillomandibular complex parameters and pharyngeal airway dimensions in different sagittal and vertical malocclusions

Majedh Abdo Ali Al-Somairi  1   2   3 , Yi Liu  2 , Abeer A Almashraq  4 , Bushra S Almaqrami  3   5 , Lina H Alshoaibi  1 , Enas S Alyafrusee  1   2   3 , Barakat Al-Tayar  1 , Xiaoli An  1 , Maged S Alhammadi  6   7
Affiliations

Correlation between the three-dimensional maxillomandibular complex parameters and pharyngeal airway dimensions in different sagittal and vertical malocclusions

Majedh Abdo Ali Al-Somairi et al. Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2023 Feb.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the three-dimensional (3D) correlation between maxillomandibular complex parameters and pharyngeal airway dimensions in different sagittal and vertical malocclusions.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included the CBCT scans of 368 patients with a mean age of 23.81 ± 3.01 years. The patients were classified into three groups (skeletal Class I, II, and III). Each class group was divided into three subgroups based on vertical growth patterns (hypo-, normo-, and hyperdivergent). The maxillomandibular complex was evaluated in the three planes using 16 skeletal measurements. Naso-, oro-, hypo-, and total pharyngeal airway spaces were assessed in terms of width, volume, surface area, and minimum constricted area (MCA). Two-way ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni post-hoc test were used.

Results: The nasopharyngeal airway space was significantly lowest regarding sagittal and lateral widths in the skeletal Class III patients, the lowest volume and surface area were in hyperdivergent patients, and MCA was the highest in Class II and hypodivergent patients. The oro- and hypopharyngeal sagittal width, volume, surface area, and MCA were the lowest in the hyperdivergent patients, and oropharyngeal lateral width and hypopharyngeal sagittal width were the highest in skeletal Class III. The total pharyngeal volume, surface area, and MCA were the lowest in the hyperdivergent patients, and skeletal Class II patients had the lowest MCA.

Conclusions: The pharyngeal airway dimensions differ with various sagittal and vertical malocclusions. These differences could apply to diagnosis, treatment planning, and possible changes following orthodontic/orthopedic or surgical treatment.

Keywords: Cone-beam computed tomography; Growth; Malocclusion; Pharynx.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare any conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The 3D coordinate system. (a) The midsagittal plane constructed by the nasion and basion point and incisive foramen. (b) The horizontal plane: constructed by the right and left porions and the right orbitale. (c) The vertical plane constructed by the basion point and perpendicular to the horizontal and midsagittal plane.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Nasopharyngeal airway. (a) Surface area (sagittal view). (b) Surface area (coronal view). (c) Surface area (axial view). (d) Airway area (multiplanar view) and minimal constricted area. (e) Airway volume (sagittal view). (f) Airway volume (coronal view). (g) Airway volume (axial view). (h) Sagittal width of nasopharyngeal NP (A-P). (i) Lateral width of nasopharyngeal NP (L-R).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Oropharyngeal airway. (a) Surface area (sagittal view). (b) Surface area (coronal view). (c) Surface area (axial view). (d) Airway area and minimum constricted area (multiplanar view). (e) Airway volume (sagittal view). (f) Airway volume (coronal view). (g) Airway volume (axial view). (h) Sagittal width of oropharyngeal OP (A-P). (i) Lateral width of oropharyngeal OP (L-R).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Hypopharyngeal airway. (a) Surface area (sagittal view). (b) Surface area (coronal view). (c) Surface area (axial view). (d) Airway area and minimum constricted area (multiplanar view). (e) Airway volume (sagittal view). (f) Airway volume (coronal view). (g) Airway volume (axial view). (h) Sagittal width of hypopharyngeal OP (A-P). (i) Lateral width of hypopharyngeal OP (L-R).
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Total pharyngeal airway (a) Surface area (sagittal view). (b) Surface area (coronal view). (c) Surface area (axial view). (d) Airway area and minimal constricted area (multiplanar view). (e) Airway volume (sagittal view). (f) Airway volume (coronal view). (g) Airway volume (axial view).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Angle EH. Treatment of Malocclusion of the Teeth: Angle’s System. In: Greatly Enl. and Entirely Rewritten, with Six Hundred and Forty-one Illustrations: SS White dental manufacturing Company. ; 1907.
    1. Moss ML. Functional analysis of human mandibular growth. The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry 1960; 10: 1149–59. doi: 10.1016/0022-3913(60)90228-6 - DOI
    1. Sprenger R, Martins LAC, Dos Santos JCB, de Menezes CC, Venezian GC, Degan VV. A retrospective cephalometric study on upper airway spaces in different facial types. Prog Orthod 2017; 18: 25. doi: 10.1186/s40510-017-0180-2 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kuang W, Zheng J, Li S, Yuan S, He H, Yuan W. Three-dimensional analysis of the pharyngeal airway volume and craniofacial morphology in patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate. Cleft Palate Craniofac J 2021; 58: 332–39. doi: 10.1177/1055665620946982 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Joseph AA, Elbaum J, Cisneros GJ, Eisig SB. A cephalometric comparative study of the soft tissue airway dimensions in persons with hyperdivergent and normodivergent facial patterns. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1998; 56: 135–39. doi: 10.1016/s0278-2391(98)90850-3 - DOI - PubMed