A cephalometric study in patients with obstructive sleep apnea after use of oral appliance

Kyung, Seung Hyun; Park, Young Chel

Abstract

It is well known that oral appliance could improve respiratory difficulty in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). To evaluate the effect of oral appliance, polysomnography and cephalometry were performed in OSA patients before and after oral appliance was used. Twenty four OSA patients were included in this study. Respiratory difficulty index (RDI) was obtained from polysomnography and the movement of soft palate, tongue, posterior pharygeal wall, hyoid bone, and mandible and the variables of the facial pattern were measured on the cephalogram. The changes of cephalometric parameters were compared to the RDI changes and the correlation was tested. After oral appliance was used, RDI decreased from 46.8 to 13.3. There was significant relationship between RDI improvement and the anterior movement of the mandible and superior movement of the hyoid bone. In 8 patients whose RDI was most improved, RDI improvement rate was correlated with the anterior movement of the on tongue and anterior-posterior (AP) diameter of the airway at the levels between the lower portion of the soft palate and epiglottis. These results could conclude that anterior movement of the tongue and superior movement of the hyoid bone would be favorable cephalometric parameters for the improvement of OSA.