HOMEPRODUCTSCOMPANYCONTACTFAQResearchDictionaryPharmaSign Up FREE or Login

Changes in head posture after rapid maxillary expansion in mouth-breathing girls: a controlled study.

Abstract
The influence of respiratory function on craniofacial development and head posture has been demonstrated previously. This study evaluated the effect of rapid maxillary expansion (RME) on nasopharyngeal airway adequacy, head posture, and facial morphology in children with nasal obstruction. Fifty-five girls (8-15 years of age) who needed maxillary expansion, showed reduced nasopharyngeal airway adequacy (pm-Ad 2), and were subjectively assessed as mouth breathers were allocated randomly into 2 groups. The 23 subjects in the first group were treated with RME, and the 22 subjects in the other group were followed about 8 months before beginning therapy and became untreated controls. Dental casts and lateral skull radiographs exposed in natural head position were obtained at the first visit and 6 months later for all subjects. In the girls under active treatment there was a statistically significant increase of pm-Ad 2 (P < .0001), a significant increase of the cervical lordosis angle (P < .0001), a flexion of the head (P < .0001), and a decrease in the craniocervical angulation (P < .0001) (paired t-tests). No significant changes were seen in the control group. The correlation coefficients indicated a mild correlation between pm-Ad 2 distance and craniocervical angulation (SN/OPT angle) (r = 0.61 at P < .001). RME is capable of increasing nasopharyngeal airway adequacy in girls, and this leads to a decrease in craniocervical angulations. The clinical importance of these results is yet to be clarified.
AuthorsSimona Tecco, Felice Festa, Stefano Tete, Valerio Longhi, Michele D'Attilio
JournalThe Angle orthodontist (Angle Orthod) Vol. 75 Issue 2 Pg. 171-6 (Mar 2005) ISSN: 0003-3219 [Print] United States
PMID15825778 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
Topics
  • Adolescent
  • Cephalometry (statistics & numerical data)
  • Cervical Vertebrae (physiopathology)
  • Child
  • Female
  • Head (physiology)
  • Humans
  • Lordosis (etiology)
  • Mouth Breathing (therapy)
  • Nasal Obstruction (therapy)
  • Nasopharynx (pathology)
  • Palatal Expansion Technique (adverse effects)
  • Posture
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Treatment Outcome

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.
Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!


Choose Username:
Email:
Password:
Verify Password:
Enter Code Shown: