Pae Eung-Kwon, Quas Catherine, Quas Jodi, Garrett Neal
School of Dentistry, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668, USA.
Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2008 Dec;134(6):792-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2006.10.039.
Low positioning of the hyoid bone is associated with the unique human ability of speech, but it might also predispose the airway to collapse. The low position of the hyoid bone has been studied in adults with sleep apnea. However, information on age-related changes in hyoid bone position in the general adult population is sparse.
We used pairs of lateral cephalometric radiographs taken 15 years apart to assess vertical changes over time in hyoid position in 163 normal white men (ages, 30-72 years).
Significant changes in hyoid bone position were independent of age or obesity but were related to facial type, as classified by the steepness of the lower margin of the mandible. Changes in hyoid position over time were significant in dolichofacial subjects but not in brachyfacial subjects. This finding might be particularly important because a low hyoid bone with a brachial face appears to be a morphologic characteristic of nonobese patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea.
舌骨低位与人类独特的言语能力相关，但它也可能使气道易于塌陷。舌骨低位已在患有睡眠呼吸暂停的成年人中进行了研究。然而，关于一般成年人群中舌骨位置随年龄变化的信息却很少。
我们使用相隔15年拍摄的成对头颅侧位X线片，评估了163名正常白人男性（年龄30 - 72岁）舌骨位置随时间的垂直变化。
舌骨位置的显著变化与年龄或肥胖无关，但与面部类型有关，面部类型根据下颌下缘的陡峭程度分类。舌骨位置随时间的变化在长面型受试者中显著，但在短面型受试者中不显著。这一发现可能特别重要，因为短面型且舌骨低位似乎是非肥胖重度阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停患者的一种形态学特征。
