Musculus uvulae and velopharyngeal status

A study of velopharyngeal status after partial excision of musculus uvulae, as in total uvulectomy, has been carried out in 15 adults with normally formed soft palates. Fifteen volunteers matched for age and sex with normal palates, who had not had total uvulectomy, were used as controls. Four assessment techniques were used: (a) Air escape, with modified tongue anchor technique; (b) Production of speech sounds; (c) Transnasal nasopharyngoscopy; and (d) Radiological screening. Even though Azzam and Kuehn (1977) have stressed the importance of the musculus uvulae in velopharyngeal closure, all assessments showed that partial excision of the musculus uvulae, as in total uvulectomy, has no statistically significant effect on the velopharyngeal status in subjects with a normally formed soft palate.