Rinomanometria ed espansione palatale: studio clinico prospettico. Dati preliminari. (Rhinomanometry and palatal expansion: clinical prospective study. Preliminary data)

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of palatal expansion on nasal airway resistance in patients with maxillary transversal constriction using rhinomanometry. Materials and methods: Twenty patients (12 females and 8 males) aged 7-11 years with monolateral or bilateral crossbite or with transversal maxillary constriction without crossbite, underwent rhinomanometric examination before (T0) and 9 months after rapid palatal expansion (T1). Total airway flow and nasal resistance were assessed during inspiration and expiration. Results: Nasal airway resistance decreased significantly after rapid maxillary expansion (P <.05). Conclusions: Rhinomanometric examination detects an improvement in nasal resistance after rapid palatal expansion