Computational fluid dynamics study of the pharyngeal airway space before and after mandibular setback surgery in patients with mandibular prognathism

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the pressure drop in the pharyngeal airway space (ΔPPAS) and the minimum cross-sectional area (minCSA) of the pharyngeal airway before and after mandibular setback surgery using computational fluid dynamics, in order to prevent iatrogenic obstructive sleep apnoea. Eleven patients with mandibular prognathism underwent bilateral sagittal split osteotomy for mandibular setback. Three-dimensional models of the upper airway were reconstructed from preoperative and postoperative computed tomography images, and simulations were performed using computational fluid dynamics.

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