Developmental Changes in Pharyngeal Airway in the Male Population From Adolescence to Adulthood

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ABSTRACT

Aim

During adolescence, there is a significant surge in height and total body mass of males. Consequently, they simultaneously experience enhancements in their circulatory and respiratory systems, which adapt to these physiological transformations. The purpose of present study was to investigate the developmental changes in male pharyngeal airway from adolescence to adulthood.

Methods

Lateral cephalograms of 192 males were obtained and divided into 5 groups: early adolescence (age 10–13 years), middle adolescence (age 14–17 years), late adolescence (age 18–21 years), early adulthood (age 22–30 years), and middle adulthood (ages 31–50 years). The dimensions of pharyngeal airway spaces and the related anatomical structures were investigated. The one-way analysis of variance and Pearson correlation analysis were employed for statistical analysis.

Results

The ANB angle was found to be notably greater in the early adolescence group (3.91°) compared to the middle adolescence (0.81°), late adolescence (0.90°), and early adulthood (2.12°) groups. The lengths of soft palate airway space (SPS), pharyngeal airway space (TPS) and epiglottis pharyngeal airway space (EPS) in early adolescence were significantly shorter than those in the other four groups. A correlation between the pharyngeal airway spaces and the horizontal orientation of the hyoid bone was not found.

Conclusion

During middle adolescence, the pharyngeal airway seems to be nearly completed in males. A significant negative correlation was found between the ANB angle and SPS, TPS, and EPS values.

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