Correlation between obstructive sleep-disordered breathing and temporomandibular joint condylar absorption in adolescents

Objective·To investigate the correlation between obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (OSDB) and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) condylar resorption in adolescents.Methods·From September 2018 to December 2023, consecutive adolescents (aged 10 to 19 years) who visited the TMJ Clinic at Shanghai Ninth People′s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, were recruited in the present study. Patients were divided into the OSDB group and the non-OSDB group based on whether the frequency of snoring was ≥3 nights per week. Demographic information, history of upper airway-related diseases, tongue habits, and mouth-breathing habits were collected for both groups. The presence or absence of TMJ condylar absorption was assessed, and condylar height was measured. Intergroup differences in the above variables were compared. To further explore the association between various factors and OSDB, variables with statistical significance in the univariate analysis were included in a logistic regression model for multivariable analysis.Results·A total of 439 adolescent patients were enrolled during the study period, including 30 cases in the OSDB group and 409 cases in the non-OSDB group. There was no significant difference in demographic information between the two groups (P>0.05). The proportions of patients with a history of adenoid and tonsil diseases and adverse tongue habits in the OSDB group were significantly higher than those in the non-OSDB group (P=0.001 and P=0.040, respectively). The incidence of TMJ condylar resorption was significantly higher in the OSDB group than that in the non-OSDB group (P=0.004), and condylar height in the OSDB group was significantly lower than that in the non-OSDB group (P