Three-Dimensional Changes in Upper Airways of Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Following Maxillomandibular Advancement

Fairburn, S. Craig; Waite, Peter D.; Vilos, George; Harding, Susan M.; Bernreuter, Wanda; Cure, Joel; Cherala, Sai

doi:10.1016/j.joms.2005.11.119

« Previous Next »Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 65, Issue 1 , Pages 6-12, January 2007

Three-Dimensional Changes in Upper Airways of Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Following Maxillomandibular Advancement

S. Craig Fairburn, DMD, MD
- Formerly, Chief Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; Currently, Private Practice, University Oral and Facial Surgery, Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Fairburn: University Oral and Facial Surgery, 651 Helen Keller Blvd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404
Peter D. Waite, MPH, DDS, MD
- Professor and Chairman, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
George Vilos, DDS, MS
- Fellow, Maxillofacial Surgical Oncology, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Greek Anticancer Intitute, St Savvas Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Susan M. Harding, MD
- Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
Wanda Bernreuter, MD
- Associate Professor, Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
Joel Cure, MD
- Associate Professor, Section of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
Sai Cherala, MD
- Graduate Student, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to analyze the morphologic changes of the airway in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients by helical computed tomography (CT) scanning following maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) surgery.

Materials and Methods

Twenty consecutive OSA patients treated with MMA from 2000 to 2003 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital and diagnosed by polysomnography (PSG) were included in this study. The criteria for this study were MMA surgery, pre- and postoperative helical CT scan, and PSG. Lateral (LAT) and anterioposterior (AP) airway dimensions were measured from the level of the hard palate to the hyoid using helical CT scans.

Results

There was enlargement of LAT and AP diameters for all patients at all levels. LAT dimensions were enhanced greater than AP in the retroglossal region.