Three-dimensional airway analysis of trumpet players vs. non-trumpet players

Abstract

The aim of this retrospective, radiographic study was to determine if there is a significant difference between the most constricted area of the airway (MCA), airway dimensions (length and volume) of the nasal cavity, nasopharynx, oropharynx, maxillary sinuses, and prevertebral soft tissue thickness of trumpeter players vs. controls utilizing three-dimensional cone beam computed tomography (3D-CBCT). The second aim was to determine significant differences in the prevalence of airway pathologies between trumpet players and controls. Following reliability studies, 3D-CBCTs of 66 Caucasian trumpeters were analyzed with 22 ethnic-matched controls. Measurements of airway parameters and pathology were compared between the two groups. An analysis of covariance, with age and sex included as covariates, was used to compare the airway measures. Since there was a significant difference in gender and age, comparisons between groups for the presence of airway pathology was made using logistic regression including age and sex as covariates. A 5 % significance level was used for all comparisons. The trumpet players had significantly smaller nasal cavity volume (p < 0.0001) and significantly greater soft tissue thickness at CV2ia (p = 0.03) and CV3sa (p = 0.005). No other airway measure demonstrated a significant difference between the two groups. There was a significant difference (p = 0.002) in airway pathology between trumpeters (n = 33; 50 %) and the controls (n = 4; 18 %). Trumpeter’s airways showed a decreased nasal volume and greater oropharyngeal soft tissue thickness compared with controls. Trumpeters were almost three times as likely to exhibit some type of airway pathology when compared to controls.