The effect of adenotonsillectomy on the position of head, cervical and thoracic spine and scapular girdle of mouth breathing children.

The clinical decision for surgical treatment of children diagnosed with mouth breathing depends on the percentage of mechanical obstruction correlated with exacerbation of upper respiratory tract infections and systemic changes. The benefits of adenotonsillectomy include changes in the nasopharyngeal space, the mandibular plane and myofunctional alterations. Post-adenotonsilectomy postural benefits have not yet been described.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the kinematics of the shoulder girdle, cervical and thoracic spine in children with mouth breathing before and after adenotonsillectomy.

METHODS: Forty-nine mouth breathing children (6.3 ± 1.8 years) of both sexes participated in the study. The measures of thoracic kyphosis, forward head position, shoulders protrusion and abduction, elevation, anterior tilt and internal rotation of the scapula were evaluated before and after surgery. The kinematic data were obtained using the system Qualysis ProReflex® .

RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in forward head position, shoulders protrusion, elevation and anterior tilt of the scapula after surgery compared to the pre-operative.

CONCLUSION: One of adenotonsillectomy results is the improvement of the posture of the head and the shoulder girdle of mouth breathing children. Clinically these findings are important and will contribute to improving the quality of life of mouth breathing children.