Objective: To establish the sagittal and vertical skeletal pattern of the Romanian patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Patients and methods: Lateral cephalograms of forty patients, divided in two groups, group I--twenty patients with OSA (15 males and five females) and aged between 34-76 years and group II (control group)--twenty patients with class II malocclusion (eight males and 12 females), aged between 22-40 years, were analyzed for linear and angular skeletal parameters.
Results: For group I--most often, the mandible was in posterior position, the mean value for SNB angle being 76.77 degrees; maxilla tended to be retruded, too. The maxillo-mandibular antero-posterior (AP) relationship was class II in 90% of the cases. A clockwise rotation of the mandible was registered in a vertical plane (mean value SN, ML: 29.82 degrees), the facial height ratio being in a normal range of values. There was a medium positive correlation between ANB angle and apnea/hypopnea index (AHI), while SNA showed a quadratic relationship with AHI. Using t-test, in order to compare the sagittal and vertical skeletal pattern of the two groups, it can be stated that there is a statistical significant difference for antero-posterior (AP) position of the mandible, for the group II mandible retrognathia being more pronounced than in group I.
Conclusions: Romanian patients with OSA had a retrognathic sagittal pattern with a class II antero-posterior relationship. A statistical significant positive correlation between AHI and ANB suggests that the class II antero-posterior maxillomandibular relationship can predispose to OSA.