A roentgencephalometric investigation of the effect of adenoid removal upon selected measures of velopharyngeal function.

Pre-and postoperative lateral x-rays were taken of 15 candidates for adenoid removal, ranging in age from four to seven years. Cephalometric measurements were taken during rest and during function (/s/). The postoperative group acquired pharyngeal dimensions of C.P.I. proportions as a result of adenoid removal. However, all subjects achieved velopharyngeal closure and displayd no hypernasality following this surgical procedure, indicating success in terms of speech. The success in their adaptation can be attributed to the following: 1) increased velar mobility; 2) increased height of velopharyngeal closure; 3) increased percent of velar stretch; and 4) anterior movement of the posterior pharyngeal wall when amount of velopharyngeal contact became tenuous. The normal velopharyngeal mechanism has the capacity to successfully overcome the imbalance between pharyngeal dimensions and velar length caused by adenoid removal. The normal mechanism overcomes this imbalance by means of compensations, some of which are typical of the inadequate mechanism.