Copy of article abstract from American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

February 2000  (with permission)

Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Volume 161, Number 2, February 2000, 420-425

An Oral Elastic Mandibular Advancement Device for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

KATHE G. HENKE, DONALD E. FRANTZ, and SAMUEL T. KUNA

Sleep Disorders Center of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia; Don E. Frantz, DDS, PC, Webster, Texas; and Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas

Oral mandibular advancement devices are becoming an increasingly important treatment alternative for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The first aim of the study was to determine whether a new oral elastic mandibular advancement device (EMA) prevents pharyngeal airway closure during sleep in patients with OSA. The second aim of the study was to determine if the polysomnographic response to the oral mandibular advancement device was dependent on the site of airway closure. Overnight polysomnograms were performed in 28 untreated OSA subjects with and without EMA. A third polysomnogram was performed in 12 of the subjects to determine the site of airway closure without the device. Site of airway closure above or below the oropharynx was determined by measuring the respective presence or absence of respiratory fluctuations in oropharyngeal pressure during induced occlusions in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 52.6 ± 28.2 (SD) events/h without the device and 21.2 ± 19.3 events/h with the device. Nineteen subjects (68%) had at least a 50% reduction in AHI with the device. The change in AHI with the device (AHI without device  AHI with device) was directly related to the AHI without the device. All three subjects with airway closure in the lower pharyngeal airway had a greater than 80% reduction in AHI with the device. Two of the nine subjects with airway closure in the velopharynx had a similar therapeutic response. The results show the effectiveness of EMA in the treatment of OSA. The results also indicate that polysomnographic severity of OSA and the site of airway closure should not be used to exclude patients from this oral device treatment. Henke KG, Frantz DE, Kuna ST. An oral elastic mandibular advancement device for obstructive sleep apnea.