In view of the high prevalence and the relevant impairment of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) lots of methods are offered which promise definitive cures for or relevant improvement of OSAS. This report summarises the efficacy of alternative treatment options in OSAS. An interdisciplinary European Respiratory Society task force evaluated the scientific literature according to the standards of evidence-based medicine. Evidence supports the use of mandibular advancement devices in mild to moderate OSAS. Maxillomandibular osteotomy seems to be as efficient as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in patients who refuse conservative treatment. Distraction osteogenesis is usefully applied in congenital micrognathia or midface hypoplasia. There is a trend towards improvment after weight reduction. Positional therapy is clearly inferior to CPAP and long-term compliance is poor. Drugs, nasal dilators and apnoea triggered muscle stimulation cannot be recommended as effective treatments of OSAS at the moment. Nasal surgery, radiofrequency tonsil reduction, tongue base surgery, uvulopalatal flap, laser midline glossectomy, tongue suspension and genioglossus advancement cannot be recommended as single interventions. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, pillar implants and hyoid suspension should only be considered in selected patients and potential benefits should be weighed against the risk of long-term side-effects. Multilevel surgery is only a salvage procedure for OSA patients.

https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/erj/37/5/1000.full.pdf

Non-CPAP therapies in obstructive sleep apnoea

A review of the literature dealing with distraction osteogenesis (DO) of the craniofacial skeleton, provided by a PUBMED search (National Library of Medicine, NCBI; revised 3 April 2000) from 1966 to December 1999 was conducted. Key words used in the search were distraction, lengthening, mandible, mandibular, maxilla, maxillary, midface, midfacial, monobloc, cranial, craniofacial and maxillofacial. This search revealed 285 articles. One hundred and nine articles were clinically orientated and were analysed in detail in this study. The type of distraction, indications, age, type of surgery, distraction rates and rhythms, latency and contention periods, amount of lengthening, follow-up period, relapse, complications and the nature of the distraction device were analysed. This review revealed that 828 patients underwent DO of the craniofacial skeleton; 579 underwent mandibular DO, 129 maxillary DO, 24 simultaneous mandibular and maxillary DO and 96 midfacial and/or cranial DO. Craniofacial DO has proven to be a major advance for the treatment of numerous congenital and acquired craniofacial deformities. Treatment protocols and success criteria for craniofacial DO are suggested on the basis of these results. There is still, however, a lack of sufficient data, especially on follow-up and relapse, so that treatment strategies have to be validated by long-term studies in the future.

Craniofacial distraction osteogenesis: a review of the literature. Part 1: clinical

Distraction osteogenesis is becoming the treatment of choice for the surgical correction of hypoplasias of the craniofacial skeleton. Its principle is based on the studies of Ilizarov, who showed that osteogenesis can be induced if bone is expanded (distracted) along its long axis at the rate of 1 mm per day. This process induces new bone formation along the vector of pull without requiring the use of a bone graft. The technique also provides the added benefit of expanding the overlying soft tissues, which are frequently deficient in these patients. This article reviews the authors' 11-year clinical and research experience with mandibular distraction osteogenesis. It highlights the indications and contraindications of the technique and emphasizes the critical role that basic science research has played in its evolution.

Distraction osteogenesis of the craniofacial skeleton.

https://www.sld.cu/galerias/pdf/sitios/protesis/craniofacial_distraction_1.pdf?origin=publication_detail

Craniofacial distraction osteogenesis: a review of the literature: Part 1: clinical studies.

A protocol for management of temporomandibular joint ankylosis in children.

A modified technique for mandibular distraction is reported: an oblique corticotomy is made in the external cortex of the mandible at the level of the gonial angle. Two intraosseous stainless steel pins are inserted and are joined by a softer distraction screw. We make two corticotomies, one horizontal and one vertical, and insert three pins to achieve bidirectional distraction when the mandibular body and the ascending ramus are hypoplasic. This procedure has been used in 87 patients with unilateral hemifacial microsomia and 19 patients with bilateral mandibular hypoplasia. A mean elongation of 19 mm was obtained in the unilateral group. In the bilateral cases a mean vertical elongation of 7.5 mm and a mean horizontal elongation of 14 mm were obtained. A great improvement of the facial asymmetry was achieved in all the patients. The follow-up in this series varies from 3 months to 3 1/2 years (mean, 19 months in unilateral cases and 12 months in bilateral cases). No relapses have been observed.

Mandibular elongation and remodeling by distraction: a farewell to major osteotomies.

In the last few years, distraction techniques have been used successfully to correct the hypoplastic human mandible. In patients with cleft lip and palate, normal growth of the maxilla may be impaired by early cleft repair, and many of them do not respond to orthodontic procedures alone. Maxillary distraction is an alternative technique to correct maxillary hypoplasia during mixed dentition. In the last 3 years, the procedure was performed in 38 patients aged between 6 and 12 years; 18 patients had unilateral cleft lip and palate, 9 patients had bilateral cleft lip and palate, 7 patients had unilateral cleft palate, 2 patients had prognathism, and 2 patients had nasomaxillary dysplasia. Photographs, posteroanterior and lateral cephalograms, and dental models are obtained preoperatively (as well as an orthopantomogram) to locate the tooth buds. A subperiosteal dissection is performed exposing the anterior and lateral aspects of the maxilla, and an incomplete horizontal osteotomy is done above the tooth buds. Using a facial mask and an intraoral fixed appliance system as an anchorage, we initiate on the fifth postoperative day the application of distraction forces. Maxillary advancement between 4 and 12 mm is achieved during 3 to 4 weeks, and a satisfactory class I or II molar relationship is also obtained. A combination of forward and downward distraction forces can be used to achieve simultaneous advancement and elongation of the hypoplasic maxilla. The aesthetic results are excellent, and the nasolabial angle is increased, including a more anterior projection of the upper lip. Nasal breathing is improved as well as the air flow and patency of the nasal airway. Velopharyngeal function remains unchanged after the procedure. The follow-up in this series varied from 6 months to 3 years. No relapses have been observed.

Maxillary distraction: aesthetic and functional benefits in cleft lip-palate and prognathic patients during mixed dentition.

Mandibular elongation by gradual distraction in patients with hemifacial microsomia is a simple and effective procedure to correct facial asymmetry. The two-pin system joined by a softer distracting screw achieves elongation in vertical and sagittal directions as well as medial rotation. The changes in mandibular shape result in changes in dental occlusion. These are minimal in children because of the rapid growth of the maxilla and can be corrected easily with minor orthodontic work. Mandibular distraction in adults with hemifacial microsomia, who usually have stable dental occlusion, produces good aesthetic results but also severe alterations in the occlusion requiring complex orthodontic treatment over a long period. To avoid this problem, an incomplete Le Fort I osteotomy is done simultaneously with the mandibular corticotomy. Intermaxillary fixation is done on the fifth postoperative day, and distraction is initiated. In a series of seven patients, the maxilla was distracted simultaneously with the mandible, preserving the preexisting stable occlusion. Preoperative deviation of the occlusal plane from the horizontal varied from 12 to 18 degrees. The plane became horizontal in four patients, and deviation of 2 degrees persisted in three. The distance from the inferior orbital rim to the occlusal plane on the affected side was increased in all patients, achieving 100 percent correction (compared with the normal side) in four patients and 95, 96, and 97 percent in the other three.

Simultaneous Mandibular and Maxillary Distraction in Hemifacial Microsomia in Adults: Avoiding Occlusal Disasters

INTRODUCTION Sleep apnea is one of the most frequent manifestations of respiratory obstruction. Historically this clinical entity has stimulated the production of numerous valuable contributions with one purpose in mind: the improvement of airway permeability. A multi-disciplinary approach is required to define the problem in anatomic and functional terms to avoid a tracheostomy and prevent long-term sequels. We decided on an approach that focuses on improving the projection of the tongue in the posterior pharynx; by lengthening the mandible and bringing the muscular insertions of the floor of the mouth forward, the antero-posterior dimensions of the airway are increased. OBJECTIVE To evaluate mandibular distraction osteogenesis as a simple mandibular lengthening procedure useful as a definite treatment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. MATERIAL AND METHODS The series consisted of 15 consecutive patients, divided in four groups. Patients with acute upper airway obstruction who required endotracheal intubation, patients with no acute upper airway obstruction but with severe respiratory distress, patients with milder degrees of airway obstruction, and patients with long-term tracheostomies. Therapeutic interventions were performed according to the findings of each group. RESULTS The patients were evaluated according to cephalometric analysis, polysomnograms, nasopharyngoscopy, and clinical data. Significant changes were seen in the cephalometric studies. There were no postoperative episodes of apnea; clinical improvement occurred in all patients and decannulation was possible in all patients. CONCLUSION Mandibular distraction is a safe and reliable procedure for treating patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Distraction osteogenesis in Pierre Robin sequence and related respiratory problems in children.

Pierre Robin sequence is characterized by micro-gnathia, glossoptosis, feeding difficulties, and upper respiratory obstruction, which are frequently complicated by bronchial aspiration and pulmonary infection. Gastroesophageal reflux is also common in these patients. To assess the results of mandibular distraction, a study was performed in 18 patients to detect swallowing disorders associated with apnea episodes and gastroesophageal reflux. Polysomnography, barium pharyngoscopy, determination of blood gases, and esophageal pH measurements were undertaken before and 4 months after distraction osteogenesis. Bilateral corticotomies, followed by distraction with external devices, were performed, achieving 7 to 19 mm of elongation (mean = 12 mm). Gastroesophageal reflux was found in 83% of cases associated with apnea episodes, but it disappeared after distraction osteogenesis. Mean preoperative oxygen saturation was 72%, and it was 93% afterward. The preoperative apnea index was 18.3, and the preoperative 8.5 hypopnea index was 8.5; both disappeared. Pharyngeal transit time became less than 1 second after treatment. Abnormal tongue movements and barium stasis in the pharyngeal recess and in the trachea were eliminated in all the patients.

Fernando Molina

Papers

Mandibular elongation and remodeling by distraction: a farewell to major osteotomies.

Maxillary distraction: aesthetic and functional benefits in cleft lip-palate and prognathic patients during mixed dentition.

Simultaneous Mandibular and Maxillary Distraction in Hemifacial Microsomia in Adults: Avoiding Occlusal Disasters

Distraction osteogenesis in Pierre Robin sequence and related respiratory problems in children.

Swallowing disorders in Pierre Robin sequence: its correction by distraction.