Oropharyngeal airway changes following bimaxillary surgery in Class III female adults

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate oropharyngeal airway changes following Le Fort I maxillary advancement and impaction with mandibular setback in Class III deformity. Subjects and methods: 53 female Class III patients (mean age: 24.9 +/- 0.8 years) had Le Fort I maxillary advancement with impaction, and mandibular setback osteotomies. Lateral cephalograms were taken before (TO), one week postoperatively (T1) and 1.3 +/- 0.2 years after (T2) bimaxillary surgery. Paired t and Pearson tests were used to evaluate the changes. Results: The mandibular plane-hyoid, tipper retropalatal airway space (URP) and hyoid to horizontal reference plane (HY-HOR) distances significantly increased and the third vertebra to menton, hyoid to vertical reference plane (HY-VER) distances decreased in the T0-T1 period. Relapses were found in mandibular plane to hyoid (MP-HY), URP, HY-HOR, third cervical vertebra to menton (C3-Me) and HY-VER distances in T1-T2 period. Correlations were found between the mandibular retraction and increases of the narrowest retropalatal (r: 0.29, p < 0.05) and lowest retropalatal airway spaces (r: -0.30, p < 0.05) and posterior movement of hyoid (r: 0.60, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Bimaxillary surgery caused an increase in the URP, together with posterior and inferior movement of hyoid bone one week postoperatively. Some relapse was found in these changes over one year later. (c) 2008 European Association for Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery