Volumetric Assessment of the Frontal Sinus in Female Adolescents and Its Relationship with Craniofacial Morphology and Orthodontic Treatment: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the correlation between frontal sinus morphology and craniofacial morphology, and to investigate the effects of orthodontic treatment on the development of the frontal sinus in female adolescents (mean age: 13.9 ± 1.3 years). In total, 53 patients were recruited and underwent cephalography and computed tomography before and after orthodontic treatment. Of these patients, most had a bilaterally symmetrical fan-shaped frontal sinus without any fusion. The average size and volume of the frontal sinus before orthodontic treatment were 45.8 ± 12.3 mm in breadth, 29.8 ± 7.3 mm in height, 22.7 ± 5.1 mm in depth, and 5151.6 ± 2711.4 mm2 in volume. Sinus volume in patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion tended to be larger than that in patients with skeletal Class I and II malocclusion. Upon comparison with the pretreatment measurements, the sizes and volumes of the frontal sinus were significantly larger following orthodontic treatment, regardless of the skeletal pattern; however, since these changes were small, the increases in the size and volume of the frontal sinus may have been caused by pubertal growth and not orthodontic treatment. The clinical relevance of the frontal sinus remains controversial.

Influence of Orthodontic Treatment on Changes in the Maxillary Sinus Dimensions

“…Previously, we studied the correlation between paranasal sinus and craniofacial morphology using CT data [22][23][24]. The frontal sinuses show increases in size and volume after orthodontic treatment during pubertal growth, whereas orthodontic treatment did not facilitate the postgrowth development in the frontal sinus [22,23].…”

“…Previously, we studied the correlation between paranasal sinus and craniofacial morphology using CT data [22][23][24]. The frontal sinuses show increases in size and volume after orthodontic treatment during pubertal growth, whereas orthodontic treatment did not facilitate the postgrowth development in the frontal sinus [22,23]. This implies that the biomechanical stimulation caused by multibracket treatment may affect the development of frontal sinuses during the growth period, suggesting the potential contribution of early orthodontic treatment to frontal sinus development.…”

Is There Variation in the Morphology of the Frontal Sinus in Individuals with Different Craniofacial Patterns? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

“…Of the searches via other methods, only two studies were evaluated for eligibility, and both were selected. Finally, 14 studies were included in the present review [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22].…”

“…Of a total of 39 records that were full were excluded (reasons provided in Figure 1 and a complete list of exclusions in Supplementary Table S2), leaving 12 records for inclusion. Of the searches methods, only two studies were evaluated for eligibility, and both were selected 14 studies were included in the present review [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. The studies were published between 2010 and 2024 and were conducted on adolescents and adults of different ethnicities.…”

“…The current literature has been showing that the frontal sinus development is associated to the maxilla and mandible development. Individuals with different skeletal malocclusions may have a different morphology of the frontal sinus [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23].…”