{"title":"Rapid palate expansion's impact on nasal breathing: A systematic review","authors":"Alessio Danilo Inchingolo , Alessandra Laforgia , Angelo Michele Inchingolo , Giulia Latini , Carmen Pezzolla , Paola Nardelli , Andrea Palermo , Francesco Inchingolo , Giuseppina Malcangi , Gianna Dipalma","doi":"10.1016/j.ijporl.2025.112248","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Proper nasal breathing is essential for the craniofacial development of children. Maxillary constriction, often associated with impaired nasal breathing, results in a narrow upper jaw, posterior crossbite, and a high palatal vault, which elevates the nasal floor and increases nasal resistance. Rapid maxillary expansion (RME) is a common orthodontic procedure that expands the maxillary dental arch, thereby widening the nasal cavity (NC). The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of RME on nasal breathing in pediatric patients. We searched databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus using the keywords: 'maxillary,' 'expansion,' 'palatal,' 'RME,' 'disjunction,' and 'nasal.' The screening phase concluded with the selection of 13 publications for this review, encompassing randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies. The quality of the studies was assessed using established criteria, and data were extracted and analyzed. RME significantly increases the transverse dimensions of the maxilla and NC, contributing to an increase in NC volume. While structural improvements are consistent across studies, functional benefits, such as reduced nasal resistance, exhibit variability. Factors including age, pre-treatment skeletal conditions, and adenotonsillar hypertrophy influence the efficacy of RME. Certain devices, such as the Hybrid-Hyrax expander (HHE), have shown promising results in enhancing nasal ventilation.</div><div>Overall, RME is an effective intervention for improving nasal breathing in children with maxillary constriction. However, further research is necessary to fully elucidate the variability in functional outcomes. Future studies should refine measurement techniques and compare different devices and protocols to optimize RME application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14388,"journal":{"name":"International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology","volume":"190 ","pages":"Article 112248"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165587625000357","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Proper nasal breathing is essential for the craniofacial development of children. Maxillary constriction, often associated with impaired nasal breathing, results in a narrow upper jaw, posterior crossbite, and a high palatal vault, which elevates the nasal floor and increases nasal resistance. Rapid maxillary expansion (RME) is a common orthodontic procedure that expands the maxillary dental arch, thereby widening the nasal cavity (NC). The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of RME on nasal breathing in pediatric patients. We searched databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus using the keywords: 'maxillary,' 'expansion,' 'palatal,' 'RME,' 'disjunction,' and 'nasal.' The screening phase concluded with the selection of 13 publications for this review, encompassing randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies. The quality of the studies was assessed using established criteria, and data were extracted and analyzed. RME significantly increases the transverse dimensions of the maxilla and NC, contributing to an increase in NC volume. While structural improvements are consistent across studies, functional benefits, such as reduced nasal resistance, exhibit variability. Factors including age, pre-treatment skeletal conditions, and adenotonsillar hypertrophy influence the efficacy of RME. Certain devices, such as the Hybrid-Hyrax expander (HHE), have shown promising results in enhancing nasal ventilation.
Overall, RME is an effective intervention for improving nasal breathing in children with maxillary constriction. However, further research is necessary to fully elucidate the variability in functional outcomes. Future studies should refine measurement techniques and compare different devices and protocols to optimize RME application.
期刊介绍:
The purpose of the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology is to concentrate and disseminate information concerning prevention, cure and care of otorhinolaryngological disorders in infants and children due to developmental, degenerative, infectious, neoplastic, traumatic, social, psychiatric and economic causes. The Journal provides a medium for clinical and basic contributions in all of the areas of pediatric otorhinolaryngology. This includes medical and surgical otology, bronchoesophagology, laryngology, rhinology, diseases of the head and neck, and disorders of communication, including voice, speech and language disorders.