A Study On The Change Of Airway Space And Cranial, Cervical Angulation After Mandibular Setback Operation

ABSTRACT

In the study of craniofacial deformity, it is very important that identifying the factor which can affect the morphology and which is closely related to the morphology, because it can not only improve the comprehension of growth and developmental process but also be applied in growth prediction and treatment modality. Several investigators have already mentioned the characterstics of head posture and airway space in relations to morphologic difference. But it is very meaningful work in clarifying the correlation between morphology, head posture and airway space that observing the change of head posture after morplologic change caused by operation and the change of airway space after same procedure. To investigate above correlation, I selected normal group which is consisted of 43 adults and mandibular prognathism group which is consisted of 47 adults who had been operated by sagittal split ramus osteotomy and were followed up more than 1 year. With their lateral skull radiograghs, reference lines which can evaluate each measuring points and areas without effect of postural change were first determined. And using above reference lines, change of airway space, positional change of tongue and hyoid, change of cranial and cervical angulations were measured. The results obtained from the study were as follows 1. In the change of head posture, the position of tongue and hyoid neighboring to pharynx is more closely related to the reference line of cervical column than to reference line of cranium. 2. After mandibular setback operation, the airway dimension was decreased to 81.6% of preoperative state at 1 month postoperatively and was slightly increased to 89.7% at 1 year postoperatively. 3. Posterior movement of tongue plays important role in decrease of airway dimension and inferior movement of hyoid was closely correlated with posterior movement of tongue. 4. Postoperative anterior movement of mandible, namely, morphologic relapse had correlation with relapse phenomenon of airway dimension. 5. Craniocervical angulation increased postoperatively. Especially in the postoperative early state, there was increased foreward inclination of cervical angulation rather than increase of cranial angulation. But at postoperative 1 year it was observed that cervical inclination was returned to preoperative state and cranial angulation was increased gradually. 6. Increase rate of airway dimension was correlated with the increase of cranial angulation from postoperative 1 month to 1 year. In conclusion, relapse tendency of airway dimension following increase of cranial angulation was found after mandibular setback operation and it is considered that increase of cranial angulation is one of compensatory mechanism in airway maintenance.