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.