Comparison of the effects on the pharyngeal airway space of maxillary protraction appliances according to the methods of anchorage

Abstract

BackgroundThe purpose of the study is to compare the effects on the pharyngeal airway space of skeletal anchored face mask with those of tooth-borne facemask.MethodsWe used two types of facemask for maxillary protraction, the tooth-borne facemask (TBFM) and the skeletal anchored facemask (SAFM), and evaluated the effects of each facemask on the pharyngeal airway. Twenty-eight patients (mean age 10.3 years) were treated with the TBFM and 24 patients (mean age 11.2 years) were treated with the SAFM. Lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken before treatment (T1) and after treatment (T2) to assess changes in the dimensions of the upper airway. Statistical analysis was performed with independent t tests, matched t tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Kruskal-Wallis tests.ResultsThere were marked increases in upper airway dimensions in both groups following treatment, but the SAFM group had a significantly greater increase in airway dimensions than the TBFM group. Also, the SAFM subgroups showed more improved airway measurements than the TBFM subgroups in both the superior and inferior pharyngeal airways.ConclusionsSAFM is more effective than TBFM in increasing upper airway dimensions.

Patterns of adenoid and tonsil growth in Japanese children and adolescents: A longitudinal study

“…A previous study reported that after the use of TB in growing children, the upper airway showed a significant enlargement of the Np, Op, and hypopharynx 34 . Another study reported that use of an MPA increased the upper airway dimensions 35 . Therefore, orthodontic treatment is likely to contribute not only to improving the facial profile, but also to improving the fundamental and essential functions of the respiratory system.…”

Changes in Airway Dimensions After Face-Mask Therapy in Cleft Lip and Palate and Non-cleft Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Finally, after evaluating the rest of the records based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 9 articles were included in this review consisting of 7 articles from electronic search and 2 articles from hand search. Among these 9 articles, three were prospective studies (14,21,22) and the rest were retrospective (15,16,19,20,23,24). Three studies were not controlled due to ethical issues (15,20,24).…”

“…Among these 9 articles, three were prospective studies (14,21,22) and the rest were retrospective (15,16,19,20,23,24). Three studies were not controlled due to ethical issues (15,20,24). Five of the studies had different comparison groups (skeletal anchorage face-mask (15), chin-cup (16), face-mask in patients with long face (21) and face-mask with 800g force (24) and modified face-mask (22) which were not included in the final analysis.…”

“…According to the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment, one study (14) was classified as low risk regarding biases, six studies presented medium risk of bias (15,16,(19)(20)(21)(22)(23) and only one study (24) had high risk for biases (Table 3).…”

“…Face-mask therapy in addition to rapid palatal expansion(RPE) might be used to stimulate bone growth and protract the maxilla. Maxillary protraction can in turn increase the pharyngeal airway spaces but evidence claims that there is a great variability in results in class III patients after face-mask therapy (14)(15)(16).…”