Short‐term pharyngeal airway space changes after mandibular advancement surgery in Class II patients—a two‐dimensional retrospective study

Structured Introduction Planning successful treatment for the correction of anatomic abnormalities of the upper airways, by surgical advancement of the mandible, depends on extensive knowledge of the pharyngeal airway space (PAS). However, there is limited scientific evidence about changes in PAS after mandibular advancement surgery. Aim To evaluate the immediate changes in superior posterior airway space (SPAS) in Class II patients, after mandibular advancement surgery. Materials and Methods A cephalometric evaluation of 37 patients with skeletal Class II deformity was performed at 2 distinct time intervals: Pre‐operative (T0) and immediate post‐operative (T1), using Dolphin Image & Management Solutions, version 11.9, according to the method of Arnett/Gunson FAB Surgery. The differences due to the surgical intervention were assessed with Student's t test, and a Principal Component Analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between mandibular advancement and SPAS variables. Anticlockwise and clockwise rotation groups were also evaluated with Mann‐Whitney tests. The statistical analysis was conducted in SPSS and R assuming a 0.05 level of significance. Results As an effect of mandibular advancement, an anteroposterior statistically significant increase in SPAS (P