Anagnostopoulos Ioannis, Pattanaik Snigdha, Zaky Ahmed, El-Motayam Ahmed, Shetty Shishir Ram, Sadek Mais M
Department of Orthodontics, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Arch Craniofac Surg. 2025 Jun;26(3):92-101. doi: 10.7181/acfs.2024.0093. Epub 2025 Jun 20.
The Twin Block (TWB) appliance is widely employed for treating Class II malocclusion in children and adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate the three-dimensional treatment effects of the TWB on the upper airway and temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and to investigate the association between airway changes and TMJ alterations.
This retrospective study examined 24 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans from 12 patients (mean age, 12.30 ± 1.24 years) diagnosed with Class II Division 1 malocclusion and treated with the TWB appliance. CBCT scans were acquired both at pretreatment (T0) and posttreatment (T1). Romexis 6.2.1 imaging software was used to assess changes in the upper airway and TMJ. The paired t-test was used to compare the pretreatment and posttreatment measurements, while Pearson correlation coefficient analysis evaluated the relationship between the upper airway and TMJ measurements.
A statistically significant increase was observed in the upper airway volume, condylar volume, and condylar dimensions after treatment. No significant correlation was detected between the upper airway and TMJ measurements at T0, T1, or in the net changes (T1-T0) during TWB therapy.
Growing patients treated with the TWB appliance demonstrated a statistically significant increase in upper airway volume. In addition, there was a significant increase in condylar volume, width, and length, with the condyle repositioned more anteriorly within the glenoid fossa. However, no statistically significant correlation was found between the TMJ and upper airway measurements.
双阻板矫治器（TWB）被广泛应用于治疗儿童和青少年的安氏II类错牙合畸形。本研究旨在评估TWB对上气道和颞下颌关节（TMJ）的三维治疗效果，并探讨气道变化与TMJ改变之间的关联。
本回顾性研究检查了12例（平均年龄12.30±1.24岁）诊断为安氏II类1分类错牙合畸形并接受TWB矫治器治疗的患者的24张锥形束计算机断层扫描（CBCT）图像。在治疗前（T0）和治疗后（T1）均获取了CBCT图像。使用Romexis 6.2.1影像软件评估上气道和TMJ的变化。采用配对t检验比较治疗前后的测量值，同时使用Pearson相关系数分析评估上气道和TMJ测量值之间的关系。
治疗后上气道容积、髁突容积和髁突尺寸均有统计学意义的增加。在T0、T1或TWB治疗期间的净变化（T1-T0）中，未检测到上气道与TMJ测量值之间存在显著相关性。
接受TWB矫治器治疗的生长发育期患者上气道容积有统计学意义的增加。此外，髁突容积、宽度和长度均有显著增加，髁突在关节窝内向前移位。然而，未发现TMJ与上气道测量值之间存在统计学意义的相关性。
