Airway volume after Le Fort III surgery for Crouzon's syndrome

Objective: There are no quantitative standards for the volumetric measurements of the airway space after Le Fort III advancement in subjects with Crouzon's syndrome. Recently developed cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) allows measurement of this parameter with high accuracy. Material and Methods: CBCT was used to assess airway space volume in 4 Caucasian subjects affected by craniofacial syndromic malformations (Crouzon) who had received Le Fort III advancement wih distraction. In order to individuate any morphological change in the airway space, also the sagittal, coronal and axial surfaces were calculated. Results: The upper airway space volume was significantly increased after surgery (p<0.01). This increase was higher that other studies, in which no distraction was applied. The sagittal, coronal and axial surfaces significantly increased from T0 to T1. Conclusion: CBCT scans allowed the measurements of airway space volume in 4 Caucasian subjects affected by craniofacial syndromic malformations after Le Fort III advancement . These data may serve as norms for the clinical assessment of airway space volume after maxillo-facial surgery, with distraction.