A three-dimensional evaluation of the upper airway in adolescents.
The link between the facial growth and airway function has been a subject of controversy in orthodontics for many years. This study investigates how well lateral cephalometric headfilms depict three-dimensional upper airway structures. Subjects are 11 normal adolescent children, ages 7-16 years old. Airway information over the same anatomic area in the nasopharynx is compared between lateral cephalometric headfilms and three-dimensional cone beam computed tomography (CT) scans. Intra-subject proportion of airway volume to area shows moderate variability. CT airway volume shows more variability than corresponding headfilm airway area.
Aboudara
C A
CA
Department of Growth and Development, University of California, Division of Orthodontics, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. cabouda@itsa.ucsf.edu
Hatcher
D
D
Nielsen
I L
IL
Miller
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008445:Maxillofacial Development; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods