EVALUATION OF PHARYNGEAL AIRWAY AND HYOID BONE POSITION ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT GROWTH-DEVELOPMENT PERIODS

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharyngeal airway and hyoid measurements according to gender and pre-peak, peak and post-peak growthdevelopment stages. Method: In our study were included 531 people. The classification of the patients according to the pubertal growth attack periods in the grouping according to the growthdevelopment period was determined from the lateral cephalometric films taken at the beginning of the treatment. The pharyngeal airway and hyoid measurements were compared according to three different growth-development periods. SPSS program was used for data analysis. Results: A statistical relationship was observed between growth-development periods, gender, and chronological age (p<0.05). A statistically significant difference was found in the majority (86%) of pharyngeal airway dimensions and hyoid measurements in all three groups (p<0.05). Conclusions: With age and as the growth-development periods progress, the dimensions of the pharyngeal airway increase, and the hyoid bone moves downwards.