Nasal patency and craniocervical posture in scholar children / Patência nasal e postura craniocervical em crianças em idade escolar / Permeabilidad nasal y postura craneocervical en niños escolares

ABSTRACT Changes in head posture have been observed as a compensatory mechanism for the nasal airflow impairment. This study aimed to compare the craniocervical posture between children with normal and decreased nasal patency and correlate nasal patency with craniocervical posture. Children aging from six to twelve years went through nasal patency and craniocervical assessments. The biophotogrammetric measures of craniocervical posture used were Cervical Distance (CD), Head Horizontal Alignment (HHA) and Flexion-Extension Head Position (FE), evaluated by SAPO software (v.0.68). Nasal patency was measured using Peak Nasal Inspiratory Flow meter (PNIF) and Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale. One hundred thirty-three children were distributed into two groups: G1 (normal nasal patency - PNIF higher than 80% of predicted value) with 90 children; G2 (decreased nasal patency - PNIF lower than 80% of predicted value) with 43 children. Differences between groups were not found in CD and HHA measures. FE was significantly higher in G2 than G1 (p=0.023). Negative weak correlation between FE and %PNIF (r=-0.266; p=0.002) and positive weak correlation between CD and PNIF (r=0.209; p=0.016) were found. NOSE scores negatively correlated with PNIF (r=-0.179; p=0.039). Children with decreased nasal patency presented greater head extension. This postural deviation is prone to increase as nasal airflow decreases, thus indicating the relationship between craniocervical posture and nasal patency. Lower values of PNIF reflected on additional problems caused by nasal obstruction symptoms.

RESUMO Mudanças na postura da cabeça têm sido observadas como um mecanismo de compensação para a perda de fluxo de ar nasal. Este estudo teve como objetivo comparar a postura craniocervical entre crianças com patência nasal normal e reduzida e patência nasal correlacionada com postura craniocervical. Crianças de seis a doze anos passaram por avaliações de patência nasal e craniocervical. As medidas biofotogramétricas de postura craniocervical utilizadas foram distância cervical (CD), alinhamento horizontal cabeça (HHA) e flexo-extensão da cabeça (FE), avaliadas pelo software SAPO (v.0.68). A patência nasal foi medida utilizando o medidor de pico de fluxo inspiratório nasal (PNIF) e escala de avaliação dos sintomas de obstrução nasal (NOSE). Cento trinta e três crianças foram distribuídas em dois grupos: G1 (patência nasal normal - PNIF superior a 80% do valor previsto) com 90 crianças; G2 (patência nasal reduzida - PNIF menor que 80% do valor previsto) com 43 crianças. Não foram encontradas diferenças entre os grupos nas medidas CD e HHA. FE foi significativamente superior em G2 do que em G1 (p=0,023). Foram encontradas fraca correlação negativa entre FE e %PNIF (r=-0,266; p = 0,002) e fraca correlação positiva entre CD e PNIF (r=0,209; p=0,016). A contagem NOSE foi negativamente correlacionada com o PNIF (r =-0,179; p=0,039). Crianças com patência nasal reduzida apresentaram maior extensão de cabeça. Este desvio postural é propenso a aumentar à medida que o fluxo de ar nasal diminui, o que indica a relação entre postura craniocervical e patência nasal. Valores mais baixos de PNIF refletem sobre problemas adicionais causados por sintomas de obstrução nasal.

RESUMEN Los cambios en la postura de la cabeza se han observado como un mecanismo de compensación para el deterioro del flujo de aire nasal. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo comparar la postura craneocervical entre los niños con la permeabilidad nasal normal y reducida y correlacionar la permeabilidad nasal con la postura craneocervical. Los niños de seis a doce años pasaron por evaluaciones de permeabilidad nasal y craneocervicales. Las medidas fotogramétricas de la postura craneocervical utilizadas fueron Distancia cervical (CD), Alineación horizontal de la cabeza (HHA) y Flexión-Extensión de la posición de la cabeza (FE), evaluadas por el software SAPO (v.0.68). La permeabilidad nasal se midió utilizando Medidor de Flujo Máximo Inspiratorio Nasal (MFMI) y la escala Evaluación de Síntomas de Obstrucción Nasal (ESON). Ciento treinta y tres niños fueron distribuidos en dos grupos: G1 (permeabilidad nasal normal - PNIF superior a 80% del valor predicho) con 90 niños; G2 (la disminución de la permeabilidad nasal - PNIF inferior a 80% del valor predicho) con 43 niños. No se encontraron diferencias entre grupos en las medidas CD y HHA. FE fue significativamente mayor en G2 que en G1 (p=0.023). Se encontraron correlación negativa y débil entre FE y %PNIF (r=-0.266; p=0.002) y correlación positiva y débil entre CD y PNIF (r=0.209; p=0.016). Las puntuaciones del NOSE fueron negativamente correlacionadas con PNIF (r=-0.179; p=0.039). Los niños con baja permeabilidad nasal presentaron una mayor extensión de la cabeza. Esta desviación postural propicia la probabilidad de la disminución del flujo de aire nasal, por lo tanto indica la relación entre la postura craneocervical y la permeabilidad nasal. Valores bajos del PNIF se reflejan en los problemas adicionales causados por síntomas de obstrucción nasal.

Craniocervical posture: cephalometric and biophotogrammetric analysis

Aim: To investigate the correlation between the craniocervical posture measurements obtained by the biophotogrammetric and cephalometric analysis. Methods: 80 women aged between 19 and 35 years were evaluated by the cephalometric and biophotogrammetric methods. The cephalometric variables were: CVA (position of flexion/extension of the head) CPL (forward head posture) CVT/EVT ratio (cervical column curvature). For the biophotogrammetric analysis, photography were analyzed in right profile being two angles related to the head forward posture (A1 and A2) and one related to flexion-extension head position (FE). It was also measured the curvature of the cervical spine by the cervical distance. The correlation between the craniocervical posture variables, as measured by the two methods of assessment, was analyzed by the Pearson’s correlation with a significance level of 5%. Results: It was observed a moderate and significant agreement (p=0.00) between the postural craniocervical variables that analyzed the flexionextension head position (FE and CVA) and the forward head (CPL and A1). The evaluation of the cervical curvature by the DC measure showed no correlation with the cephalometric variable CVT/EVT. Conclusions: The biophotogrammetric analysis can be preferably chosen for assessing the head posture. However, the cephalometric analysis appears to be the most indicated for the cervical curvature measurement, since it enables a more objective view of the bone structures without the influence of the soft tissues.