A Comparative Study on the Morphological Changes in the Pharyngeal Airway Space before and after Sagittal Split Ramus Osteotomy

Abstract

This study investigated the difference in pharyngeal spaces in orthodontic patients with or without setback surgery. The control group consisted of 28 patients who underwent orthodontic treatment alone and a study group consisting of 53 patients that had orthodontic treatment and sagittal split ramus osteotomy. The pharyngeal spaces were compared in both groups using cephalogram before and after treatment. During the initial visit, the middle and lower pharyngeal spaces were significantly larger in the study group than in the control group. However, there were no significant differences in any parameter used to measure the pharyngeal space between the two groups after surgery. The surgery contributed to the reduction in the size of the pharyngeal spaces. The pharyngeal space of patients who need setback surgery may be larger than orthodontic patients who do not need surgery.