Upper Airway Mechanics

Abstract

Understanding the mechanics of the upper airway is critical to the research on the pathophysiology of upper airway obstruction. This article will review the determinants of upper airway patency including the upper airway dilating muscles, the transmural pressure across the airway, pharyngeal compliance, and craniofacial structure. During sleep, loss of the wakefulness stimulus to breathe results in decreased upper airway caliber and increased resistance. Models that characterize the relationship between pressure and flow of the upper airway during sleep and that explain upper airway collapsibility during sleep will be presented. Finally, a proposed scheme of the pathophysiology of upper airway collapse during sleep will be presented.