Evaluation and Comparison of Cervical Spine Posture in Class II Division I Patients Treated with Twin Block Appliances, Forsus Appliances, and Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy: A Cephalometric Study

Cervical spine changes with functional appliance treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

Cervical spine posture is related to craniofacial morphology, airway, gait and body posture. This posture may be influenced by the changes in the mandibular position brought about by functional appliance therapy. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to assess the changes in the cervical spine posture with functional appliance treatment in Skeletal Class II subjects.

Methods

A search of studies in six electronic databases - Medline (via Pubmed), the Cochrane Library, OVID, LILACS, Scopus and Web of Science were performed until January 18, 2024 without any restriction in date or language of publication. Eligibility screening, study selection, and data extraction were performed by two reviewers independently. The risk of bias assessment of the included studies was performed with the Newcastle Ottawa scale and Cochrane RoB 2.0. Meta-analysis was performed using random effects model for assessment of changes in the cervical spine with removable and fixed functional appliances.

Results

Twelve articles that satisfied the eligibility criteria were included for systematic review and nine articles for meta-analysis. Five studies showed a low risk of bias, one as moderate and six as high risk of bias. GRADE assessment revealed a low quality evidence. Meta-analysis revealed a decrease of the upper cervical inclination by 1.16° (95 % CI of -2.68 to 0.35, I2 = 6 %), an increase of the middle cervical inclination by 2.20° (95 % CI of 0.46-3.94, I2 = 49 %), an increase in cervical curvature angle by 1.60° (95 % CI of 0.12-3.09, I2 = 89 %) and a decrease in cervical lordosis angle by 1.54° (95 % CI of -4.16 to 1.08, I2 = 0 %).

Conclusions

Minimal uprighting of the cervical spine was noted with functional appliances. Fixed functional appliances exerted a greater effect than removable functional appliances. Cervical hyperlordosis was reduced with removable functional appliance treatment. Though these changes are minimal, the clinical orthodontist should be aware that functional therapy also influences cervical spine posture. Due to the heterogeneity and low quality of evidence, the results are to be considered critically.

Analysis of Cervical Range of Motion in Subjects Affected by Temporomandibular Disorders: A Controlled Study

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study were to compare the cervical ROM data obtained from accelerometer exams between patients suffering from TMDs (study group) and healthy patients (control group). Material and Methods: A sample of 43 young adult subjects (23 control subjects and 20 TMD patients) were included in this study and analyzed with the accelerometer (Baiobit™, BTS, Garbagnate Milanese, Milan, Italy) to assess cervical ROM using a standardized protocol, including the following occlusal conditions: mandibular rest position, clenching, clenching with cotton rolls, maximal intercuspation, and mandibular position with cotton rolls. The cervical ROM was measured in degrees and expressed as the mean and standard deviation. Results: TMD patients showed a reduced cervical extension compared to control subjects in all the conditions, with statistically significant relevance. Regarding the other movements, the differences were not statistically or clinically significant. Conclusions: Based on the results of the present study, it can be observed that temporomandibular disorders are associated with a decreased cervical extension range, while the remaining components of ROM do not seem to be significantly associated. The use of accelerometers in ROM analysis could be helpful in improving interdisciplinary communication between dentists and physiotherapists.