Upper Airway Morphology and Head Posture in Healthy Men and Women

Year 2017, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 12 - 17, 14.04.2017

Aynur Medine Şahin Sağlam Neslihan Ebru Şenışık

https://doi.org/10.22312/sdusbed.306409

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate

morphological differences in the upper airway of healthy men

and women on lateral cephalometric radiographs.

Material-Method: In our study, we evaluated 76 lateral

cephalometric radiographs of adult subjects (38 men and 38

women) with class I skeletal pattern taken in natural head

posture. In order to determine natural head posture, we used

self-balance position, which was transferred to the cephalostat

by means of a fluid level device. All lateral cephalograms

were traced manually. The effect of gender on upper airway

morphology and natural head posture was evaluated using

Student’s t-test.

Results: We found that measurements used in the

determination of natural head posture were similar for men

and women. Linear measurements regarding the position of

bony structures (MP-AH, AH-AH1, C3ia-AH, and Ba-C3ia),

soft tissue (PNS-P, MPT, PNS-Et, TGL, and TGH), tongue

area, soft palate area, and oropharynx area were statistically

significant, with respect to gender.

Conclusions: The hyocervical relation is affected by gender

differences whereas hyomandibular relation is well balanced

in subjects with normal occlusion and class I skeletal pattern

and was not affected by gender. Natural head posture was

not affected by gender differences. Tongue area, soft palate

area, and oropharyx area are larger in men. However, no

statistically significant differences were observed between

genders for nasopharynx and hypopharyx areas.

Keywords

Upper Airway, Natural Head Posture, Cephalometry

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