Pharyngeal Airway Space Changes After Condylar Replacement and Mandibular Advancement Surgery.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the total volume and cross-sectional areas of the pharyngeal airway after bilateral condylar replacement and mandibular advancement surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 137 patients (126 women and 11 men) underwent bilateral temporomandibular joint total joint replacement performed by 1 surgeon. A subsample of 30 patients who underwent condylar replacement and only mandibular advancement were evaluated for impact on the airway. Measurements were taken preoperatively, postoperatively, and at a follow-up 1 year after surgery on cone beam computed tomography scans. InVivoDental 3-dimensional imaging (Anatomage, San Jose, CA) was used to measure airway space regarding total volume (in cubic centimeters); minimum cross-sectional area (in square millimeters); minimum cross sections of the first, second, and third cervical vertebrae; and whether the patient had mandibular retrognathia before surgery. A second operator was used to test for interoperator error. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed, and the P value was set at .05. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in all measurements at the follow-up visit compared with the preoperative visit. There were no significant differences between groups based on simultaneous Le Fort I surgery, mandibular retrognathia, and gender. However, there were statistically significant differences in cross sections 1 and 2, as well as minimum cross-sectional area, regarding age. Condylar replacement and mandibular advancement have a significant association with an increase in airway space. The intraclass correlation coefficient showed excellent agreement between interoperator measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing bilateral temporomandibular joint replacement and mandibular advancement surgery showed an increase in pharyngeal airway space at a 1-year follow-up. In this study, age was significantly associated with the cross-sectional areas of the airway, with older patients having smaller values.