Comparing Pharyngeal Airway Dimensions and Hyoid Bone Position in the Subgroups of Skeletal Class III Malocclusions: A Cephalometric Study

Abstract

Aim: To examine pharyngeal airway dimensions and hyoid bone position according to the subgroups of Class III malocclusion. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study consisted of patients divided into three subgroups with skeletal Class III malocclusion. The study included a total of 151 individuals (61 females and 90 males). The authors divided individuals with skeletal Class III malocclusion into three subgroups: maxillary retrognathia, mandibular prognathia, and combined. The study’s cephalometric analysis used eight nasopharyngeal, seven oropharyngeal, two hypopharyngeal, nine hyoid, and four area measurements. One-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate patients. Tukey’s post-hoc tests were used for bilateral comparisons of significant parameters. The results were considered statistically significant at a P < .05 significance level. Results: The study found no significant differences between the groups’ pharyngeal airway and area measurements (P > .05). When the authors evaluated hyoid bone position, a statistically significant difference was found between the three groups’ Hy-A (mm), Hy-S (mm), Hy-SN (mm), and Hy-FH (mm) measurements (P < .05). Conclusion: Linear and areal pharyngeal airway dimensions are similar in subgroups of Class III malocclusions, while the hyoid bone is vertically higher in individuals with maxillary retrognathia.