Volumetric Changes of Frontal Sinus after Correction of Anterior Open Bite

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate volumetric changes of the frontal sinus after non-surgical or surgical orthodontic treatment for patients with anterior open bite. Methods: Samples for this retrospective study consisted of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images taken from patients diagnosed with anterior open bite. Seventeen patients of a non-surgical group had undergone conventional orthodontic treatment and 13 patients of a surgical group received orthodontic treatment with orthognathic surgery. The control group consisted of another 17 patients who had minor crowding and normal anterior overbite. Segmentation and three-dimensional reconstruction of the frontal sinus was performed. The volume of the frontal sinus was measured using an ITK-SNAP program on CBCT images before (T1) and after treatment (T2). Volumetric changes were compared within groups and between groups. Results: Though the volume of the frontal sinus was significantly decreased at T2 in the non-surgical group compared to that in the control group, the differences were within the range of method error. Volumetric changes in the surgical group were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The opacity of the inferior border of the frontal sinus was slightly increased after compromised, non-surgical orthodontic treatment in adult patients with anterior open bite. However, improvement of occlusion did not cause substantial dimensional changes of the frontal sinus in the surgical or non-surgical orthodontic group. (Clin J Korean Assoc Orthod 2024;14(3):173-180)