Determination of 3D airway volume in individuals with different skeletal pattern

DETERMINATION OF 3D PHARYNGEAL AIRWAY VOLUME IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DIFFERENT SKELETAL PATTERN The aim of his study is to compare the volume and shape of the airway of patients with different skeletal pattern. Cone beam computerized tomographies (CBCT) of 235 patients (114 girls, 121 boys) were selected from the archive of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology Department of Dicle University Faculty of Dentistry. Lateral cephalometric analysis was done on these selected CBCT?s and then they divided into groups as they would have similar girl-boy number due to their skeletal patterns. After divided into 3 groups due to ANB angles as Class I (0?ANB?4), Class II (ANB>4) ve Class III (ANB<0), each group divided into subgroups due to SN-GoGn and sum of the inner angles (İAT) as low (SN-GoGn<28, İAT<393), medium (28?SN-GoGn?36, 393?İAT?399) and high (SN-GoGn>36, İAT>399) face pattern. The airway measurements were done by Dolphin 3D software program on CBCT scans. One-Way ANOVA test was used in inter group comparisons on normally distributed parameters. Kruskal-Wallis test was used in intergroup comparisons on the parameters which are not normally distributed. The Mann-Whitney U test with the Bonferroni adjustment was used on the parameters which were found to be statistically significant due to analysis results. To check the correlations between the airway volume and other airway parameters, cephalometric parameters and age, the Pearson correlation was performed. As a result; orapharyngeal, nasopharyngeal and total airway volumes of Class II patients were smaller than Class I and Class III patients. There were no significant differences on oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal and total airway volumes between Class I and Class III patients. Patients with high face pattern showed smaller total airway volumes than patients with low face pattern.