Abstract
Objectives/Hypothesis:
To evaluate the impact of the uvular length on the efficacy of palatal implants in primary snoring.
Study Design:
Prospective case series, tertiary hospital, snoring and respiratory sleep disorders center.
Methods:
Forty subjects with inserted palatal implants and diagnoses of primary snoring were included. All met the inclusion criteria of age >18 years, body mass index <30, apneaโhypopnea index <5, tonsil grade <3, softโpalate length >25 mm, and Friedman tongue position <3 following clinical, endoscopic, and polysomnographic evaluation. Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and the snoringโintensity visual analogue scale (VAS) were recorded before and 9 months after the implant. Four subjects with extruded implants were excluded; the remaining 36 subjects were divided into two groups, Group I and Group II, with uvular lengths of โค15 mm and >15 mm, respectively. The study assessed and compared subjective outcome measures including the partner's satisfaction (PS), partner's reported improvement (PRI), 50% VAS and ESS reduction, and subjective success (SS) defined as 50% VAS reduction. The Student t test, ฯ^2^ test, and logistic regression models were used for statistical evaluation.
Results:
SS (50% VAS reduction), PS, PRI, and 50% ESS reduction were significantly higher in Group I (P < .001, P = .0257, P = .027, P < .001). The overall SS, PRI, PS, and 50% ESS reduction were 33%, 78%, 50%, and 50%, respectively. The uvular length was found to be the determinant factor of SS (P = .005; odds ratio = 0.75), PRI (P = .039; odds ratio = 0.83), and 50% ESS reduction (P = .038; odds ratio: 0.84) following implant insertion through stepwise logistic regression analysis.
Conclusions:
Excess uvular length (>15 mm) is an important anatomic feature decreasing the efficacy of palatal implants in snoring, and additional measures, such as uvulectomy, should be considered simultaneously for better outcomes (level 4).