Effects of twin-block appliance on the anatomy of pharyngeal airway passage (PAP) in class II malocclusion subjects

• Published in: Progress in orthodontics 2014-12, Vol.15 (1), p.68-68, Article 68
• Main Authors: Ghodke, Swapnil, Utreja, Ashok Kumar, Singh, Satinder Pal, Jena, Ashok Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anatomic Landmarks - pathology; Body Mass Index; Cephalometry - methods; Child; Dentistry; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hypopharynx - pathology; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Malocclusion, Angle Class II - therapy; Mandible - pathology; Medicine; Nasal Bone - pathology; Nasopharynx - pathology; Oropharynx - pathology; Orthodontic Appliances, Functional; Pharynx - pathology; Prospective Studies; Retrognathia - therapy; Sella Turcica - pathology
• ISSN: 2196-1042; 1723-7785; 2196-1042
• DOI: 10.1186/s40510-014-0068-3

Background The use of functional appliances for the correction of retrognathic mandible is very common in orthodontics. Similar appliances known as oral appliances are also frequently used in adults for the treatment of mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Many studies have reported improvement of pharyngeal airway passage (PAP) dimensions following functional appliance therapy in children and oral appliance therapy in adults. There is only one study in the literature that discussed the effect of oral appliance therapy on posterior pharyngeal wall thickness (PPWT) among subjects with OSA. The effect of functional appliance therapy on PPWT has never been investigated. Thus the present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of twin-block appliance on pharyngeal airway passage (PAP) dimensions and posterior pharyngeal wall thickness (PPWT) in class II malocclusion subjects with retrognathic mandibles. Methods Thirty-eight class II malocclusion subjects in the age range of 8 to 14 years with mandibular retrusion were divided into a treatment (n = 20) and control (n = 18) group. Mandibular retrusion in the treatment group subjects was corrected by twin-block appliance. The effect of twin-block appliance on PAP and PPWT dimensions were evaluated from lateral cephalograms recorded prior-to and after 6 months of appliance therapy in the treatment group subjects and the changes were compared with the changes in the control group subjects. Student’s t -test was used for statistical analysis; P -value of 0.05 was considered a statistically significant level. Results The depth of the oropharynx was increased significantly in the treatment group subjects ( P