Objectives/hypothesis: Early mandibular lengthening by distraction osteogenesis provides an alternative to traditional methods of airway management in infants with Pierre Robin sequence (PRS). Little evidence in the medical literature quantitatively demonstrates the changes in skeletal, soft tissue, and hypopharyngeal spaces with mandibular distraction.
Study design: Prospective analysis of a cohort of three patients with PRS.
Methods: We reviewed a series of infants with PRS and severe upper airway obstruction who underwent mandibular distraction. The infants underwent mandibular lengthening with the same internal, unidirectional distraction osteogenesis device. Standardized serial computed tomography (CT) scans were obtained according to established protocol. Computed tomography data were extracted and analyzed with medical image analysis software for mandibulo-maxillary arch harmony, symmetry, hypopharyngeal airway volume, geniohyoid distance, distraction osteogenesis bone volume, and mandibular length.
Results: Mandibulo-maxillary alveolar ridge distances were corrected to 0.5 mm after distraction. Clinical examination showed good arch harmony without open-bite or cross-bite deformities. Mandibular ramus was lengthened by 19.5%; the body, 43.4%. After distraction, total mandibular length was increased by 26.2%; hypopharyngeal airway volume, 192%; posterior distance from pharyngeal wall to tongue base, 198.9%; and geniohyoid distance, 14.1%.
Conclusions: Unidirectional internal microdistractors can achieve good mandibulo-maxillary arch harmony. Hypopharyngeal airway volume increases substantially, with an even greater increase in distance between tongue base and posterior pharyngeal wall. As the distal mandibular segment is distracted, the hyoid moves anteriorly, with minor increase in geniohyoid relationship. Internal mandibular microdistraction devices represent a substantial advance in airway obstruction management in infants with micrognathia.