Obstructive sleep apnoea: a cephalometric study. Part I. Cervico-craniofacial skeletal morphology

Abstract

A comprehensive cephalometric analysis of cervico-craniofacial skeletal morphology in 100 male patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and 36 male controls was performed. The significant aberrations in the OSA group feature: (1) shorter dimension of cranial base with slight counter-clockwise rotation and depression of clivus; (2) shorter maxillary length with normal height; (3) maxillo-mandibular retrognathia related to nasion perpendicular plane (N perpendicular FH) despite normal angles of prognathism; (4) 47 per cent of the OSA group had mandibular retrognathia; (5) increased anterior lower facial height and mandibular plane angle; (6) reduced size of bony pharynx; (7) inferiorly positioned hyoid bone at C4-C6 level; (8) deviated head posture with larger cranio-cervical angle. Cephalometric analysis is highly recommended in OSA patients as one of the most important tools in diagnosis and treatment planning.