IADR Abstract Archives
Analysis of Nasal Airway Symmetry and Pharyngeal Airway Following RME
Objectives: This retrospective cohort study tested the effect of Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) on symmetrical volumetric changes in the nasal cavity. Volumetric changes were also analyzed for nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cavities.
Methods: CBCT scans of before and after RME treatment for 17 subjects (10 females, 7 males, average age 9.47 ± 2.65 years) were collected from a previously de-identified database. All subjects were treated for maxillary constriction using banded hyrax expanders. Mimics software was utilized to segment nasal and pharyngeal airways and a 3-D model was created. Anatomical points and subsequent planes using these points were established to divide the 3-D model into anterior nasal cavity right and left (ANC-R, ANC-L), posterior nasal cavity right and left (PNC-R, PNC-L), nasopharyngeal cavity, and oropharyngeal cavity. Volumetric changes for each of these compartments were then collected. Paired T-test was used to quantify the pre- and post-expansion volumetric changes. Statistical significance was set at the 0.05 level.
Results: Posterior expansion as measured between right and left greater palatine foramen (GPF) averaged 2.5 mm (SD = 0.4 mm). There were statistically significant differences in overall nasal cavity (2124.1 ± 657.4 mm3, 21.83 ± 23.01%), ANC-R (309.6 ± 65.97 mm3, 26.38 ± 23.07%), ANC-L (270.8 ± 59.55 mm3, 27.08 ± 27.12%), PNC-R (636.5 ± 267.9 mm3, 27.88 ± 43.17%), and nasopharyngeal (808.8 ± 204.3 mm3, 37.03 ± 35.99%) cavity volumes. No significant differences were found for PNC-L (94.60 ± 208.3 mm3, 10.25 ± 34.87%) or oropharyngeal (1233.8 ± 593.1 mm3, 17.39 ± 37.80%) cavity volumes.
Conclusions: Results suggest that RME has significant benefits to increasing nasal and pharyngeal airway cavity volumes. ANC-R and ANC-L showed symmetrical increases in volume on average. PNC-R and PNC-L both increased in volume on average but not symmetrically. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cavities also had volumetric increases on average following RME.
Methods: CBCT scans of before and after RME treatment for 17 subjects (10 females, 7 males, average age 9.47 ± 2.65 years) were collected from a previously de-identified database. All subjects were treated for maxillary constriction using banded hyrax expanders. Mimics software was utilized to segment nasal and pharyngeal airways and a 3-D model was created. Anatomical points and subsequent planes using these points were established to divide the 3-D model into anterior nasal cavity right and left (ANC-R, ANC-L), posterior nasal cavity right and left (PNC-R, PNC-L), nasopharyngeal cavity, and oropharyngeal cavity. Volumetric changes for each of these compartments were then collected. Paired T-test was used to quantify the pre- and post-expansion volumetric changes. Statistical significance was set at the 0.05 level.
Results: Posterior expansion as measured between right and left greater palatine foramen (GPF) averaged 2.5 mm (SD = 0.4 mm). There were statistically significant differences in overall nasal cavity (2124.1 ± 657.4 mm3, 21.83 ± 23.01%), ANC-R (309.6 ± 65.97 mm3, 26.38 ± 23.07%), ANC-L (270.8 ± 59.55 mm3, 27.08 ± 27.12%), PNC-R (636.5 ± 267.9 mm3, 27.88 ± 43.17%), and nasopharyngeal (808.8 ± 204.3 mm3, 37.03 ± 35.99%) cavity volumes. No significant differences were found for PNC-L (94.60 ± 208.3 mm3, 10.25 ± 34.87%) or oropharyngeal (1233.8 ± 593.1 mm3, 17.39 ± 37.80%) cavity volumes.
Conclusions: Results suggest that RME has significant benefits to increasing nasal and pharyngeal airway cavity volumes. ANC-R and ANC-L showed symmetrical increases in volume on average. PNC-R and PNC-L both increased in volume on average but not symmetrically. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cavities also had volumetric increases on average following RME.