Source
Dentistry and Orthodontics Unit, NESMOS Department, Sapienza University of Rome, School of Medicine and Psicology, Italy.
Abstract
AIM:
to evaluate the effects of rapid maxillary expansion (RME) in a group of OSAS preschool children.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Lateral cephalograms of 15 OSAS children (8 boys and 7 girls, age mean ± SD: 5.94 ± 1.64 years) were analysed at the start of treatment with RME (T0). All subjects were revaluated after a mean period of 1.57 ± 0.58 years (T1). At this time the sample was divided into 2 groups according to the change in the respiratory disturbance index (RDI): an improved group (I: 8 subjects) and a stationary/worsened group (SW: 7 subjects). Differences between I and SW children with respect to values of cephalometric variables at T0 and to variations between T0 and T1 were evaluated using Mann-Whitney U test. Differences between T0 and T1 values in the overall group of children and separately in I and SW groups were assessed using Wilcoxon test.
RESULTS:
At the start of treatment, the I group was characterised by more retrognathic jaws with lower values of SNA (p=0.055) and SNB (p=0.020) and higher age values (p=0.093) when compared to SW group. After treatment, the I group showed an increase in SNA and SNB angle significantly higher than SW group (p=0.004 and p=0.003, respectively). On the contrary, I and SW groups did not differ as for variation in the skeletal divergency and in the total facial height.
CONCLUSION:
OSAS preschool children with retrognathic jaws could benefit from RME treatment.
Related posts:
- Morphological features of elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: a prospective controlled, comparative cohort study
- Parental perceptions of sleep disturbances and sleep-disordered breathing in children with Down syndrome
- Obstructive hypopnea and gastroesophageal reflux as factors associated with residual obstructive sleep apnea syndrome