[The influence of posture on nasal geometry].
To investigate the effect of posture on nasal cavity geometry, nasal cavity geometry were measured by acoustic rhinometry in 35 healthy adults (17 males and 18 females, 26-50 years old, mean age 32 years) after 5 min in changing postures of head and body. The minimum cross-sectional area and volume between the nostril and 8 cm posteriorly were measured on both sides. When changing from sitting to lateral recumbent with the wider side of the nasal cavity downwards both total volume and total minimum cross-sectional area decreased 18%, volume and minimum cross-sectional area of the wider sides showed that decreased 32% and 26%. When changing from lateral recumbent with the wider side of the nose downwards to lateral recumbent with the narrower side downwards, volume and minimum cross-sectional area of the wider sides and total volume showed that increased 41%, 24% and 12%. Our findings indicate that there is a complex response of the nasal cavity mucosa to posture changing. This factor should be taken into account in rhinological studies of environmental, clinical and pharmacological conditions.
Third Clinical College, Bethune University of Medical Sciences, Changchun 130031.
J
J
Zheng
Y
Y
Wang
Z
Z
Dong
D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D011187:Posture