Evaluation of the Pharyngeal Size in Skeletal Class I and Class II Subjects Diseases

Ne’Am Al–Saleem

doi:10.33899/rdenj.2007.164409

Abstract

Aims: The aims of the study were to measure different variables of pharynx in class I and class II skeletal relation, clarify the effect of gender on the pharyngeal measurements and to find the effect of different classes (class I and class II) on the pharyngeal measurements. Materials and Methods: The samples consisted of cephalometric films of 40 subjects, 20 males (10 class I and 10 class II) and 20 females (10 class I and 10 class II). These films were traced and ten linear measurements of the pharynx. Results: No significant difference were noticed between males and females in class I participants except in Ba–PNS (sagittal depth of the bony nasopharynx), PNS–ppw (the sagittal depth of the pharynx along the line ANS – PNS) and hy–MP (millimeter distance from hyoid to the mandibular plane), where males showed a significantly higher value; while males showed a significantly higher value in Ba – ad2 (sagittal depth of the nasopharyngeal airway along line S – Ba) and hy–apw2 (millimeter distance from hyoid to ap2) in class II. Conclusions: No significant differences were noticed between males and females in class I and class II skeletal relation in most of the measured variables and also no significant differences were noticed in the same gender neither in class I nor in class II.

Highlights

The pharynx is a tube – shaped structure formed by muscles and membranes
No significant differences in the pharyngeal measurements were noticed between males and females with class I ske
No significant differences were noticed between males and females in class I participants except in Ba – PNS, PNS – ppw and hy – MP where males showed a significantly higher value; while in class II the only significant difference noticed were in Ba – ad[2] and hy – apw[2] with higher values for males

Summary

Introduction

The pharynx is a tube – shaped structure formed by muscles and membranes. It is located behind the nasal and oral cavities and the larynx, and extends from the cranial base to the level of the sixth cervical vertebra and the lower border of the coronoid cartilage. The pharynx can be anatomically divided into three parts: nasopharynx, oropharynx and laryngopharynx (1,2). The nasopharynx is a cone–like space that extends three dimensionally downward from the most dorsal contact point on the body of the sphenoid (hormion) to the level of the hard palate and the foramen magnum. The nasopharynx is situated behind the nasal cavity and communicated with the posterior aperatus of the nose(3)

Methods

Results

Conclusion