Correlation analysis of upper airway morphology in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and anatomically small retruded mandibles.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between upper airway morphology and the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with anatomically small retruded mandibles.
Methods: Fifty-two patients with small retruded mandibles underwent polysomnography and airway computed tomography. The airway morphology parameters and sleep assessment were compared between the patients with or without OSA.
Results: Twenty-eight patients diagnosed with OSA, according to polysomnography, had a higher distance between the hyoid bone and mandibular plane (HMP), lateral dimension (LAT)/anteroposterior dimension (AP), but lower minimum cross-sectional area (mCSA), AP, surface area, volume, avgCSA, and airway uniformity (U). The apnea-hypopnea index had negative correlations with mCSA, AP, surface area, volume, avgCSA, and U, and had a positive correlation with HMP and LAT/AP.
Conclusion: OSA is common among patients with small retruded mandibles and is associated with a more compressed upper airway shape and longer HMP.