title: Changes in nasal volume after surgically assisted bone-borne rapid maxillary expansion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purposes of this study were to detect, locate, and examine the changes in transverse nasal width, area, and volume from bone-borne, surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME) with the Dresden distractor by using computer tomography (CT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen patients (average age, 28.7 years) underwent axial CT scanning before and 6 months after SARME. They also underwent CT fusion on specific bony structures. The nasal bone width was examined in the coronal plane. The cross-sectional images of the nasal cavity were taken of the area surrounding the apertura piriformis, the choanae, and in between. We calculated cross-sectional areas and nasal volume according to these data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All but 2 patients had an increase in nasal volume of at least 5.1% (SD, 4.6%). The largest value of 35.3% (SD, 45.8%) was measured anteriorly on the nasal floor, decreasing cranially and posteriorly. This correlated with the V-shaped opening of the sutura palatina. There was no significant correlation between increase in nasal volume and transversal expansion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because most of the air we breathe passes over the lower nasal floor, SARME is likely to improve nasal breathing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Technical University, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Wayel
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Deeb
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hotan
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hietschold
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Harzer
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tausche
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000601:surgery*; D009295:Nasal Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009666:Nose / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019857:Osteogenesis, Distraction / Q000379:methods*; D010155:Palatal Expansion Technique; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000601:surgery*; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D055815:Young Adult