Surgical mandibular advancement and changes in uvuloglossopharyngeal morphology and head posture: a short- and long-term cephalometric study in males.

The aim of the present study was to investigate, by means of an extensive cephalometric examination, the alterations which took place in hyoid bone position, head posture, position and morphology of the soft palate, and tongue and sagittal dimensions of the pharyngeal airway after mandibular advancement osteotomy for the correction of mandibular retrognathism. The sample consisted only of adult males who underwent mandibular advancement by bilateral sagittal ramus split osteotomy (BSRO) with rigid fixation. Profile cephalograms were obtained 1-3 days before surgery (20 subjects), and 6 months (20 subjects) and 3 years (19 subjects) after the surgery. Statistical evaluation was performed by paired Student's t-test and Pearson product moment correlation analysis. At the short-term follow-up, hyoid bone and vallecula assumed a more superior (AH perpendicular FH, AH perpendicular ML, AH perpendicular S, V perpendicular FH) and anterior position (AH-C3 Hor, V-C3), which was maintained at the long-term follow-up. The soft palate (NL/PM-U) became more upright at the short-term follow-up. The tongue demonstrated a transient increase in height (H perpendicular VT) and a less upright position (VT/FH) at the long-term observation. In addition, a more upright cervical spine (OPT/HOR, CVT/HOR) was recorded at the long-term follow-up. The pharyngeal airway space at the level of the oropharynx (U-MPW) and the retroglossal space at the base of the tongue (PASmin) showed an increase in the sagittal dimension at the short-term follow-up. Significant widening at the PASmin level was sustained at the long-term follow-up, indicating that mandibular advancement osteotomy could increase airway patency and be a treatment approach for sleep apnoea in selected patients.