The effects of miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion on the upper airway of adults with midpalatal suture in the last two degrees of ossification

Fábio Ferreira Anéris; Ossam El Haje; Henrique Damian Rosário; Carolina Carmo de Menezes; Cristina Maria Franzini; William Custodio

doi:10.1016/j.ejwf.2023.05.005

The effects of miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion on the upper airway of adults with midpalatal suture in the last two degrees of ossification

J World Fed Orthod. 2023 Aug;12(4):150-155. doi: 10.1016/j.ejwf.2023.05.005. Epub 2023 Jun 20.

Authors

Fábio Ferreira Anéris¹, Ossam El Haje², Henrique Damian Rosário³, Carolina Carmo de Menezes⁴, Cristina Maria Franzini⁴, William Custodio⁵

Affiliations

¹ Graduate student, Department of Orthodontics, University Center of Hermínio Ometto Foundation-FHO, Araras, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
² Professor, Departament of Oral Biology, Univeristy Center UNIFACVEST, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
³ Professor, Departament of Dentistry, Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, Tubarão, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
⁴ Associate Professor, Department of Orthodontics, University Center of Hermínio Ometto Foundation-FHO, Araras, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
⁵ Associate Professor, Department of Orthodontics, University Center of Hermínio Ometto Foundation-FHO, Araras, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: williamcustodio@fho.edu.br.

PMID: 37344294
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejwf.2023.05.005

Abstract

Background: Transverse deficiencies of the maxillary basal bone have been treated in adult patients using miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) therapy. However, the midpalatal suture's degree of ossification may affect the upper airway dimensions. This study compared the volumetric changes of the total upper, retropalatal, retroglossal airways, and the minimal transverse airway constriction after MARPE therapy in patients with midpalatal suture in the last stages of ossification.

Methods: This controlled clinical trial included a total of 20 adult patients (mean age 24.5 ± 6.2 years) with maxillary atresia treated with MARPE. Preoperative (T₀) cone-beam computed tomography scans were used to determine the degree of midpalatal suture ossification. Two groups were formed considering the last two stages of sutural ossification "D" or "E" (n = 10 per group). After 120 days of the therapy (T₁), cone-beam computed tomography assessments were performed to compare the pre and post-treatment outcomes. The total upper, retropalatal, and retroglossal airways and the minimal transverse airway constriction were evaluated. The three-dimensional reconstruction was performed with OsiriX MD software. The comparisons were carried out using mixed models for repeated measures at fixed time points (α = 0.05).

Results: Groups D and E showed no significant difference for any of the analyzed parameters (P > 0.05). Both groups showed a statistically significant increase for all airway segments after the treatment with MARPE (P < 0.05). The total upper airway increased (11.6% and 16.1%) for groups D and E, respectively (P = 0.3356).

Conclusions: MARPE therapy resulted in dimensional gains of the upper airway for adult patients, irrespective of the intermaxillary sutural degree of ossification.

Keywords: Cone-beam computed tomography; Orthodontics; Palatal expansion technique.

Publication types

Controlled Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

Adult
Humans
Nose
Osteogenesis*
Palatal Expansion Technique*
Sutures
Trachea
Young Adult