Abstract:

Objective: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate and compare the airway shape and volume using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), which allows three-dimensional examination of the airway in individuals with different skeletal patterns. Materials and Methods: For this retrospective study, a total of 235 CBCT images were selected from the archives of Dicle University Faculty of Dentistry Department of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology. Selected CBCTs were first divided into three groups according to their ANB angles: Class I (04) and Class III (ANB<0). Each group was further divided into three subgroups: low angle [SNGoGn<28, sum of posterior angles (SPA)<393], normal angle (2836, SPA>399) according to SNGoGn and SPA. The total airway volume, oropharyngeal airway volume, nasopharyngeal airway volume, axial area at C2 and C3 vertebra levels, minimum axial area, axial area at the border of the oropharynx and nasopharynx and the transverse and anteroposterior lengths of each area were measured. Kruskal-Wallis variance analysis was used in between-group comparisons. Correlations between variables were tested with the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: Statistically significant differences in the oropharyngeal airway and total airway were found between Class I and Class II and between Class II and Class III (p<0.01). A statistically significant difference in the total airway volume was noted between the low angle and high angle subgroups of Class I, Class II and Class III (p<0.05). Conclusion: The oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal and total airway volumes of patients with Class II were smaller than those with Class I and Class III. Individuals with high angle vertical skeletal pattern were found to have smaller total airway volume than those with a low angle vertical skeletal pattern.

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