The relationship between sagittal upper airway size and surrounding skeletal structure with Delaire cephalometric analysis.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between sagittal upper airway size and craniofacial characteristics in men with malocclusion in early permanent dentition, and to find out the factor that affect the pharyngeal airway size remarkably. METHODS: Seventy-four cephalometric films of nonsnoring males with malocclusion aged from II to 16 years(mean 13 years) before treatment were collected and measured with Delaire cephalometric analysis, the results were assessed by SPSS13.0 software package, multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between upper airway size anti craniofacial characteristics variation. RESULTS: The size of nasopharyngeal space (PNS-ad) correlated negatively with the upper face height, the inclination of ramus plane, percentage of cranial height to cranial base length. The size of palatopharyngeal space(Ve-PVe) correlated negatively with the upper face height, percentage of cranial height to cranial base length. The size of hypopharyngeal space (Ph1-Ph2) correlated positively with the angle between cervical vertebrae tangent and cranial base, negatively mandibular plane angle, the length of mandibular body and percentage of cranial height to cranial base length. CONCLUSIONS: The sagittal upper airway size of nonsnoring males with occlusion is significantly correlated to the craniofacial skeletal structures and head posture, the types of craniofacial growth and the skeletal structure around have remarkable effect on the upper airway space. Supported by Key Research Project of Bureau of Health of Chongqing Municipality (Grant No.05-1-007). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]