Position of hyoid bone in atypical deglutition –A pilot study

Introduction: Position of the hyoid bone is a key factor in diagnosis of atypical deglutition in children under 12 years of age. Objective: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the position of hyoid bone among the subjects with atypical deglutition between the age group of 15-30 years. Materials and Method: 30 lateral cephalograms of subjects with atypical deglutition were selected as group A and 30 lateral cephalograms with normal deglutition (control group) were selected as group B. Linear measurements (H-MP, H-T distance) were measured manually on the lateral cephalograms. Results: values were compared using Mann-Whitney U-test and a P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The average distance of the H-MP was 7.10 mm for the group B and 8.97 mm for the group A. The average distance of the H-T variable was -2.63 mm for group B and -5.30 mm for the group A. Conclusions: Although statistically insignificant, the distance of H-MP and H-T were found to be more in group A than in the control group. This study shows a much lower and posterior position of hyoid bone in atypical deglutition patients.