CBCT measurement and analysis of morphological characteristic of oropharyngeal airway with different sagittal skeletal pattern in high angle adults

To investigate the relationship between the morphology of the oropharyngeal airway and the maxillofacial skeletal morphology by comparing the three-dimensional morphology of the oropharyngeal airway in different sagittal features of the high angle adult.

60 high angle adults aged 18 to 36 years were divided into 3 groups based on their ANB angles, there were 20 adults in each group, the number of males were equal to females. The In vivo Dental 5.1 software for reconstructing the CBCT image of each one was used, the middle sagittal plane and axial plane in coronal, sagittal and axis view was adjusted, then the distances, volumes and minimum cross-sectional areas were measured. The differences among 3 groups and between different gender were compared.

There was statistical difference in W-ETP among 3 groups (P ＜ 0.05). There were statistical difference in H-GP、H-Total、W-PNSP、W-ETP、V-GP、V-Total (P ＜ 0.05) between males and females, and these measurements of males were bigger than of females.

The difference of the size and shape of the oropharyngeal airway of high angle adults among different sagittal skeletal patterns was mainly reflected in the lowest width of glossopharyngeal airway, the oropharyngeal airway of males was bigger and longer than females.