Gender and racial variations in cephalometric analysis.

Cephalometric analysis has earned a vital role in the evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea. However, the normal measurements cited in the literature are not sex or race specific. Skeletal differences in sexes and races have been established. This study was initiated to examine whether race and sex variations in soft tissue and skeletal measurements exist in cephalometric analysis. A total of 89 volunteers of different race and sex participated in this study. The data support the hypothesis that there are statistically significant differences in (1) sella-nasion-subspinale angle (SNA) between black men, and both Caucasian and Hispanic men, (2) sella-nasion-supramentale angle (SNB) between black men and Caucasian men, (3) posterior airway space between Caucasian men and women, and (4) mandibular plane to hyoid distance between Caucasian men and women. These data suggest that only SNA and SNB need racial specificity. Furthermore, Caucasian women need a separate set of normal values from men, specifically posterior airway space and mandibular plane to hyoid bone.