A quantified comparison of craniofacial form with nasal respiratory function.

Rhinomanometry provides a means to quantify the nasal airway in terms of its conductive efficiency by use of the inverse or resistance to airflow. In samples of 21 male and 26 female subjects, nasal airway resistance was compared with a number of form measurements and the coefficients of correlation were calculated. Statistical significance was found in some of the relationships with nasal airway resistance, particularly the maxillary-mandibular plane angle, the palate-tongue distance, the palatal width, and the facial index.