Chen Chun-Ming, Chen Han-Sheng, Chen Pei-Jung, Hsu Kun-Jung
School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807506, Taiwan.
J Clin Med. 2024 Jan 12;13(2):434. doi: 10.3390/jcm13020434.
The present study aimed to investigate developmental changes in the female pharyngeal airway from adolescence to adulthood, considering variations in the anatomical structures related to the airway dimensions.
Lateral cephalograms of 214 females were analyzed and categorized into five developmental stages: early adolescence (10-13 years), middle adolescence (14-17 years), late adolescence (18-21 years), early adulthood (22-30 years), and middle adulthood (31-50 years). The focus of the analysis included the point A-Nasion-point B (ANB) angle, tongue pharyngeal airway space (TPS), epiglottis pharyngeal airway space (EPS), soft palate airway space (SPS), and the horizontal and vertical positions of the hyoid bone.
The ANB angle exhibited significant variation across groups, being significantly larger in the early-adolescence group (4.22°) compared to the middle-adolescence, late-adolescence, and early-adulthood groups. The TPS and EPS were significantly shorter in the early-adolescence group. Negative correlations were observed between the ANB angle and the lengths of the pharyngeal airway spaces (SPS, TPS, and EPS). The horizontal and vertical positions of the hyoid bone remained stable after middle adolescence.
The maturation of the ANB angle and pharyngeal airway in females seems nearly completed during middle adolescence (14-17 years). Additionally, a significant and negative correlation was identified between the ANB angle and the lengths of various pharyngeal airway spaces (SPS, TPS, and EPS). The horizontal and vertical positions of the hyoid bone showed stability after middle adolescence.
本研究旨在探讨从青春期到成年期女性咽气道的发育变化，同时考虑与气道尺寸相关的解剖结构变化。
分析了214名女性的头颅侧位片，并将其分为五个发育阶段：青春早期（10 - 13岁）、青春中期（14 - 17岁）、青春晚期（18 - 21岁）、成年早期（22 - 30岁）和成年中期（31 - 50岁）。分析重点包括A点-鼻根点-B点（ANB）角、舌咽气道间隙（TPS）、会厌咽气道间隙（EPS）、软腭气道间隙（SPS）以及舌骨的水平和垂直位置。
ANB角在各年龄组间存在显著差异，青春早期组（4.22°）的该角度显著大于青春中期、青春晚期和成年早期组。青春早期组的TPS和EPS显著较短。观察到ANB角与咽气道间隙（SPS、TPS和EPS）长度之间呈负相关。青春中期后舌骨的水平和垂直位置保持稳定。
女性ANB角和咽气道的成熟在青春中期（14 - 17岁）时似乎已基本完成。此外，还发现ANB角与各咽气道间隙（SPS、TPS和EPS）长度之间存在显著负相关。青春中期后舌骨的水平和垂直位置表现出稳定性。
