VOLUME OF THE UPPER AIRWAY IN DIFFERENT FACIAL SKELETAL PATTERNS OF A POPULATION OF PALASTUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CUENCA USING CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY.

Abstract

In the context of the diagnosis and treatment plan for patients with dentofacial deformities, it is crucial to examine the upper airway, since its function may be compromised by the facial skeletal pattern or impacted by the planned surgical intervention. Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CTCT) is positioned as the preferred option to evaluate it, thanks to its precision and ability to predict possible changes. Objective: to evaluate the volume of the upper airway in different facial skeletal patterns of a population of students from the University of Cuenca at TCHC. Materials and methods: 33 tomographies were evaluated through the Sidexis 4 program, where the volume of the nasopharynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx was measured according to facial skeletal pattern and sex. Results: Of the 33 CBCT analyzed, 10 (30%) belonged to the male sex and 23 (70%) to the female sex. Within the population of patients with skeletal class I, it was found that the volume of the oropharynx was greater compared to the nasopharynx and hypopharynx, thus obtaining an average of 21.87cm3, with a standard deviation of 5.09. Conclusions: The average volume of the upper airway in subjects with Class I facial skeletal patterns is higher than in Class II, thus being statistically significant in the oropharynx. It is recommended to conduct studies with a larger population involving class III skeletal patterns.