Influence of Orthognathic Surgery on Voice Fundamental Frequency

Abstract

Considering that orthognathic surgery promotes changes in orofacial structures constituting the resonating system, functional changes secondary to surgery are expected to affect speech, leading to the need for further speech and voice adjustments. Thus, understanding the possible relationships of these structures with voice production is important. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the changes in voice fundamental frequency of a patient submitted to orthognathic surgery and observe if there is a relationship with hyoid bone positioning at the different treatment periods. The results revealed that voice fundamental frequency increased after surgery, returning to values close to the preoperative condition, which corresponded to vertical movement of the hyoid bone.

Acoustic analysis of vowel sounds before and after orthognathic surgery

“…Bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy (BSSRO) affects the position of the tongue, teeth, and lips, all of which have important roles in pronunciation. Because of the difficulty of conducting direct research on pronunciation, dental specialists have proposed an indirect procedure that uses the position of the hyoid bone on cephalometric lateral radiography and affects the airway in the retropharyngeal space (Eggensperger et al, 2005;Kawakami et al, 2005;Jorge et al, 2009;Marsan et al, 2010). Additionally, although computerised tomography and three-dimensional reconstruction have recently been recommended, previous studies have offered only general ideas about how the vocal tract is expected to change and have been limited by the assumption that this procedure, like previous methods, may cause changes in pronunciation.…”

Effect of Rapid Maxillary Expansion on Voice

“…[4][5][6][7][8] Orthognathic surgery, be it distraction osteogenesis or maxillofacial osteotomies, has been shown to affect speech, velopharyngeal function, and fundamental frequency. 7,8 The effect of orthognathic surgery on voice has been attributed to changes in the position of the hyoid bone and orofacial structures, which constitute a major component of the resonating system.…”

“…Outcome measures used to report vocal changes are nasalance scores, formant frequencies, and formant amplitude. [4][5][6][7][8] Similarly, orthognatic surgery for the treatment of cleft palate, craniofacial anomalies, and malocclusion has also been expected to have an effect on voice. 4,5 These surgeries consist primarily of maxillary and mandibular osteotomies, distraction osteogenesis, and repair of cleft palate.…”

“…3 Studies on the impact of surgery of the orofacial and craniofacial structures on voice are few. 4,5 Adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, inferior turbinectomy, septoplasty, and uvulopalatoplasty are surgeries carried out on soft tissues of the upper airway with resultant alterations in the resonant characteristics of the vocal tract. [4][5][6] The impact of these surgically induced alterations is at times a change in voice quality.…”

Características da fonetografia em indivíduos com equilíbrio dentofacial pós-muda vocal

“…The difference suggests that the dentofacial condition can influence the position of the larynx, and also in the fundamental frequency. In a study conducted after orthognathic surgery it was reported that the change in facial profile of the patient led to changes in the fundamental frequency of the voice and the positioning of the hyoid bone after surgery 29 .…”