title: The effect of infrahyoid muscle sectioning on hyoid bone position and oropharyngeal air column volume.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the spatial hyoid bone position and the oropharyngeal air column volume after infrahyoid muscle sectioning as a single procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animal experiment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six adult New Zealand rabbits underwent sternohyoid, omohyoid, and thyrohyoid muscle sectioning for infrahyoid release. Preoperative and postoperative computed tomography scans were obtained and transferred to the Mimics software program. By using the program, preoperative and postoperative three-dimensional models of the spatial hyoid bone position and the oropharyngeal air column volume were determined and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the surgical intervention, it was found that the hyoid bone significantly moved to a more anterior (P = .028, P = .046), and superior (P = .028, P = .028) position. The preoperative mean oropharyngeal air column volume (618.88 ± 176.54 mm(3) ) also increased after infrahyoid muscle sectioning (797.01 ± 155.33 mm(3) ). and this change was also statistically significant (P = .028).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infrahyoid release improves oropharyngeal air column volume, as the hyoid bone moves to a more anterior and superior position after this operation in an animal model. However, additional animal and human studies are necessary to evaluate a possible therapeutic role of this procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  NA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Osman T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Güzeldir
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Utku
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Aydil
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kizil
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ankara Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akyildiz
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Köybaşioğlu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006928:Hyoid Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007821:Laryngeal Muscles / Q000601:surgery*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Hyoid bone; apnea; laryngeal muscles; oropharynx; sleep; surgery