Comparison of hyoid bone positions and pharyngeal airway dimensions in different body mass index percentile adolescent subjects

Hyoid Position and Aging: A Comprehensive Analysis Using AI-assisted Segmentation of 282 Computed Tomography Scans

Background

With neck, aging the cervicomental angle becomes obtuse and may be influenced by hyoid bone aging. An understanding of hyoid position changes with aging will further our understanding of its role in neck contour changes.

Methods

A 3D volumetric reconstruction of 282 neck computed tomography scans was performed. The cohort was categorized into three groups based on age: 20 years or older and younger than 40 years, 40 years or older and younger than 60 years, and 60 years or older and younger than 80 years. The vertical and horizontal hyoid distances in relation to the mandible were calculated for each patient.

Results

A total of 282 patients (153 women, 129 men) were included in the cohort. The age groups were evenly distributed in men and women. Mean hyoid vertical and horizontal distances differed between women and men in all age groups. There was a significant difference in the hyoid vertical distance between 20-39 years old to 40-59 years old in men (P < 0.01), and 20-39 years old to 60-79 years old in both genders (women P = 0.005, men P < 0.01). Hyoid horizontal distance was not affected by age and sex (age and sex: P > 0.05), but rather by body mass index (BMI). Every 5 BMI points corresponded to a forward movement of 2 mm.

Conclusions

As individuals age, the hyoid bone descends in both sexes, and an increase in BMI is associated with forward movement. Additional studies are needed to assess the correlation of the hyoid position between upright and supine positions.

A Basic Study for Predicting Dysphagia in Panoramic X-ray Images Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)—Part 1: Determining Evaluation Factors and Cutoff Levels

Background: Dysphagia relates to quality of life; this disorder is related to the difficulties of dental treatment. Purpose: To detect radiographic signs of dysphagia by using panoramic radiograph with an AI system. Methods: Seventy-seven patients who underwent a panoramic radiograph and a videofluorographic swallowing study were analyzed. Age, gender, the number of remaining teeth, the distance between the tongue and the palate, the vertical and horizontal hyoid bone position, and the width of the tongue were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was used. For the statistically significant factors, the cutoff level was determined. The cutoff level was determined by using analysis of the receiver operations characteristic (ROC) curve and the Youden Index. Results: A significant relationship with presence of dysphagia was only observed for the vertical hyoid bone position. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.72. The cutoff level decided for the hyoid bone was observed to be lower than the mandibular border line. Conclusions: In cases where the hyoid bone is lower than the mandibular border line on a panoramic radiograph, it suggests the risk of dysphagia would be high. We will create an AI model for the detection of the risk of dysphagia by using the assessment of vertical hyoid bone position.

Evaluation and Correlation Between Pharyngeal Space, Mandible, and Tongue in Two Different Facial Patterns

Introduction:

Respiratory function has a direct relationship with the pharyngeal airway dimension and mandibular morphology. The objective of the present study was to compare and correlate pharyngeal airway, mandibular morphology, and tongue position in hyperdivergent and normodivergent patterns using standard cephalometric radiographs.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 130 individuals with age 13 to 19 years, with no craniofacial skeletal abnormalities, were taken. The individuals were divided into 2 groups based on their Frankfort mandibular angle (FMA). Group I consist of 65 hyperdivergent individuals (34 males, 31 females) with FMA >28. Group II consisted of 65 normodivergent individuals (28 males, 37 females) with FMA >25 to <28. For statistical analysis, variables were analyzed by unpaired t-test, with P value <.05. Correlation between the pharyngeal space and the other variables was analyzed with the Pearson correlation test.

Results:

Upper pharyngeal airway space in hyperdivergent growth pattern exhibited a significant negative correlation with ramus width (r = −0.02 and P = .028). Gonial angle showed a statistically significant inverse correlation with lower pharyngeal airway space (r = −0.398 and P = .029). A-point-nasion-B-point (ANB), saddle angle, posterior tongue space, tongue gap, and pharyngeal airway among normodivergent subjects, showed a statistically significant negative correlation.

Conclusion:

The present study showed a significant relationship between pharyngeal airway space, craniofacial morphology, and tongue position suggesting that narrower airway space may be a causative factor for altered dentofacial skeletal patterns. Reduced ramus width, lowered tongue, and narrower posterior pharyngeal wall might be a balancing mechanism set for morphological imbalance in hyperdivergent pattern.