title: Changes in pharyngeal airway dimensions and hyoid bone position after maxillary protraction with different alternate rapid maxillary expansion and construction protocols: A prospective clinical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the changes in pharyngeal airway dimensions and the position of the hyoid bone after maxillary protraction with different alternate rapid maxillary expansion and construction (Alt-RAMEC) protocols in patients with skeletal class III malocclusion as a result of maxillary retrusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients with skeletal class III malocclusions were consecutively divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 17 patients (11 boys and 6 girls, mean age 11.31 ± 1.71 years) who had the Alt-RAMEC protocol for 5 weeks, and group 2 consisted of 17 patients (10 boys and 7 girls, mean age 11.64 ± 1.24 years) who had the Alt-RAMEC procedure for 9 weeks. In this study, 4 angular and 13 linear measurements were performed to evaluate the skeletal and pharyngeal airway changes that occurred after maxillary protraction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant increase in the maxillary growth, inhabitation of mandibular growth, and clockwise rotation of the mandible caused the improvement of the maxillo-mandibular relationship in both groups. Those changes caused a significant increase in the upper pharyngeal airway dimension (P < .01) and affected the vertical position of the hyoid bone in both groups (P < .05 and P < .01, respectively). However, changes that occurred in both groups were found to be similar for all airway variables (P > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Upper pharyngeal dimension and vertical position of the hyoid bone were affected by the maxillary protraction with different Alt-RAMEC protocols. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups.
authors.forename: Mevlut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Celikoglu
authors.forename: Muhammet Hilmi
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Buyukcavus
mesh_terms: D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D005115:Extraoral Traction Appliances; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006928:Hyoid Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008313:Malocclusion, Angle Class III / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D010155:Palatal Expansion Technique; D010614:Pharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D063173:Retrognathia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Alt-RAMEC; Maxillary protraction; Pharyngeal airway