Changes in Tongue Area, Pharyngeal Area, and Pharyngeal Airway Velocity after Correction of Mandibular Prognathism

Chun-Ming Chen; Ting-Ying Yu; Szu-Ting Chou; Jung-Hsuan Cheng; Shih-Chieh Chen; Chin-Yun Pan; Yu-Chuan Tseng

doi:10.3390/jcm10194560

Changes in Tongue Area, Pharyngeal Area, and Pharyngeal Airway Velocity after Correction of Mandibular Prognathism

J Clin Med. 2021 Sep 30;10(19):4560. doi: 10.3390/jcm10194560.

Authors

Chun-Ming Chen^{1

2}, Ting-Ying Yu³, Szu-Ting Chou^{2

4}, Jung-Hsuan Cheng⁴, Shih-Chieh Chen⁴, Chin-Yun Pan⁴, Yu-Chuan Tseng^{2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan.
² School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan.
³ School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
⁴ Department of Orthodontics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the amount of mandibular setback, and the related changes of the tongue area, pharyngeal area, and pharyngeal airflow velocity. Twenty-five patients treated for mandibular prognathism, and serial cephalograms were obtained (T1: preoperation, T2: more than one year postoperation). The postoperative area of the tongue, pharyngeal airway space, and pharyngeal airflow velocity were investigated. Statistical analysis was performed with the Student t-test and Pearson correlation. The amount of mandible setback was significant after surgery (12.8 mm; p < 0.001). The pharyngeal area was significantly reduced 115.5 mm² (p = 0.046). There was a slight reduction of the tongue area (43.2 mm²; p = 0.305) and an increase of pharyngeal airflow velocity (0.3 m/s; p = 0.133). The Pearson correlation coefficient test showed no statistical significance among the amount of horizontal setback and vertical movement of the mandible, such as the reductions in the tongue area, the pharyngeal airway space, and the increase in pharyngeal airflow velocity. Larger amounts of mandibular setback caused a significant reduction of pharyngeal airway area, but without significant changes of the tongue area and pharyngeal airflow velocity.

Keywords: airway velocity; horizontal setback of menton; mandibular prognathism; mandibular setback; pharyngeal airway area; sleep apnea; tongue area; vertical change of menton.