ArticleChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2023
Effects of Rapid Palatal Expansion on the Upper Airway Space in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): A Case-Control Study.
Article in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Dental Appliances for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2023Pooled it
- Controlled Prospective Evidence of Rapid Maxillary Expansion Efficacy in Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review Update.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Maxillary Arch Expansion and Adenotonsillectomy in Prepubertal Children Diagnosed with Paediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: An Interventional Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Craniofacial and dental arch morphological changes in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome following rapid maxillary expansion.Journal of dental sciences · 2026Article
- Assessment of the Effect of Rapid Maxillary Expansion on Nasal Respiratory Function and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Children: A Systematic Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Three Decades of Managing Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: What's Old, What's New.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Three-dimensional volume changes of the palatal vault and pharyngeal airway following facemask therapy and maxillary expansion: a prospective comparative study.BMC oral health · 2025Article
- The Role of Rapid Maxillary Expansion in the Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: Monitoring Respiratory Parameters-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in children needs a multidisciplinary approach. Even if the first-line treatment of pediatric OSA is adenotonsillectomy, nowadays rapid palatal expansion (RPE) is considered a valid additional treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate cephalometric changes in upper airways dimensions after rapid palatal expansion (RPE) in children suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). A total of 37 children (range age 4-10 years) with diagnosis of OSA referred to Dentistry Unit of Bambino Gesù Children's Research Hospital IRCCS (Rome, Italy) were included in this pre-post study and underwent lateral radiographs at the start (T0) and at the end (T1) of a RPE treatment. Inclusion criteria were: diagnosis of OSA confirmed by cardiorespiratory polygraphy (AHI > 1) or pulse oximetry (McGill = >2), skeletal maxillary contraction evaluated by presence of posterior crossbite. A control group of 39 untreated patients (range age 4-11 years), in good general health, was set up. A paired T-test was used to investigate the statistical differences between T0 and T1 values in both groups. The results showed a statistically significant increase of nasopharyngeal width in the treated group after RPE treatment. Moreover, the angle that identifies mandibular divergence compared to palatal plane (PP-MP°) was significantly reduced. In the control group, no statistically significant differences were observed. The present study showed that RPE treatment determines a significant sagittal space increase in the upper airways space and a counterclockwise mandibular growth in children with OSA compared to a control group. These results suggest that a widening of the nasal cavities induced by RPE may support a return to physiological nasal breathing and promote a counterclockwise mandibular growth in children. This evidence confirms the crucial role of the orthodontist in the management of OSA in pediatric patients.
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