Objectives: The purpose of this study was to cephalometrically evaluate the pharyngeal airway space and frontal and sphenoid sinus changes after maxillomandibular advancement counterclockwise rotation for class II anterior open bite malocclusion.

 Methods: The study included 49 patients (98 lateral teleradiographs 36 females and 13 males) who were analysed in the pre-operative (1 week before surgery) and post-operative (6 months after surgery) periods. In each lateral teleradiography, the dimensions of the inferior and superior pharyngeal airway space, TB-PhW1 [the point between the posterior aspect of the tongue to the dorsal pharyngeal wall (oropharynx) (TB) and the point on the dorsal pharyngeal wall closest to TB (PhW1)] and UP-PhW2 [and the point between the posterior aspect of the soft palate to the dorsal pharyngeal wall (nasopharynx) (UP) (PhW2)] measurements were evaluated, as well as the dimensions of the frontal and sphenoid sinuses. The differences between the two operative times were evaluated by Student's t-test.

 Results: All measurements showed excellent reproducibility for the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC > 0.9 p < 0.0001). There was an increase in the measurements TB-PhW1 and UP-PhW2 and a decrease in the dimensions of the frontal and sphenoid sinuses after orthognathic surgery.

 Conclusions: The morphology of the superior and inferior pharyngeal airway space and frontal and sphenoid sinuses changes after 6 months of maxillomandibular advancement counterclockwise rotation for class II anterior open bite malocclusion.

 Source: Dentomaxillofacial Radiology journal

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