• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.443-448
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• 2015

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a syndrome characterized by the repetitive episodic collapse of the upper airway. Maxillomandibular advancement surgery is one of the most effective surgical treatment methods in treating obstructive sleep apnea. The advancement of both maxill and mandible can enlarge the cross-sectional areas and volumes of the postero-superior airway. The purpose of this study is to analyze flow patterns in the upper airway before and after maxillomandibular advancement surgery. Here, we analyzed flow phenomena of inspiration and expiration to prevent obstructive sleep apnea patient from happening side effect. Modeling of the upper airway carried out from clinical CT scanned images. We used time-dependent values for boundary condition. CFD analyses were performed and evaluated section of minimum area (SMA), compared with patient inside upper airway before and after maxillomandibular advancement surgery in SMA, and negative pressure effects. The study showed the greatest enlargment of the section of minimum cross-sectional area. Moreover, the velocity and the negative airway pressure were decreased. According to the result of this study, the maxillomandibular advancement surgery stabilizes the airflow in the postero-superior airway of OSA patients.