Relationships among tongue volume, hyoid position, airway volume and maxillofacial form in paediatric patients with Class‐I, Class‐II and Class‐III malocclusions

Abstract

Objectives:To clarify the associations among tongue volume, hyoid position, airway volume and maxillofacial form using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data for children with Class-I, Class-II and Class-III malocclusion. Setting and SamplePopulation: Sixty children (mean age, 9.2 years) divided into Class-I, Class-II and Class-III malocclusion groups according to the A-nasion-B angle. Material and Methods: Cone beam computed tomography was used for threedimensional reconstruction of the maxillofacial region and airway. The hyoid position and the tongue, airway and oral cavity volumes were evaluated. Upper airway ventilation status was calculated using computational fluid dynamics. The groups were compared using analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis tests; relationships among the parameters were assessed using Pearson's and Spearman's rank correlation tests. Results:The tongue volume was larger in Class-III patients (50.63 cm 3 ) than in Class-I patients (44.24 cm 3 ; P < 0.05). The hyoid position was lower (49.44 cm), and anatomical balance (AB; tongue volume/oral cavity volume; 85.06%) was greater in Class-II patients than in Class-I patients (46.06 cm, 80.57%, respectively; P < 0.05 for both).The hyoid height showed a positive correlation with AB (r = 0.614; P < 0.001). Conclusions:Children with Class-III malocclusion have large tongue volumes and small AB; the reverse is true for children with Class-II malocclusion. The hyoid position is closely associated with AB in children with malocclusion.

3D evaluation of the morphological and volumetric changes of the tongue and oral cavity before and after orthognathic surgery for mandibular prognathism: a preliminary study

“…In previous studies, OCC and TV were measured using various techniques, such as MRI [20], CT [21,22], CBCT [9][10][11], and alginate impression material [12][13][14] . However, the anatomical definitions of the tongue and the measurement areas in these studies were usually inconsistent [20].…”

“…To better understand the influence of the tongue on the stability of the occlusion after orthognathic surgery, it is important to measure the volume of the oral cavity and tongue to determine the volumetric balance between OCC and TV. The OCC and TV have been measured accurately by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) examinations [9][10][11]. However, CBCT examinations involve exposure to radiation.…”

Effect of Orthopedic Treatment for Class III Malocclusion on Upper Airways: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The most constricted area of the oropharyngeal airway is usually located at the base of the tongue [ 2 ]. At the same time, a positive correlation has been reported among tongue volume, pharyngeal airway and Sella-Nasion-B point (SNB) angle, while a negative correlation has been reported between tongue volume and A point-Nasion-B point (ANB) angle [ 3 ]. Finally, Class III patients might have higher risk of being mouth breathers than Class I patients (32% and 23%, respectively) [ 4 ].…”

Comparing Pharyngeal Airway Dimensions and Hyoid Bone Position in the Subgroups of Skeletal Class III Malocclusions: A Cephalometric Study

“…Reports have also shown that the oropharyngeal region is wider in Class III individuals than in Class II individuals. 12 Takemoto et al evaluated the pharyngeal airway dimensions of prepubertal individuals with Class III malocclusion using cephalometric measurements. They found that females with Class III malocclusion had a lower pharyngeal airway size, however, larger than females with Class I occlusion.…”