Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Mandibular Bone Mass as Assessed Through Panoramic Radiographs

• Author / Creator

  Eimar, Hazem

• Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and low bone mass (i.e., osteoporosis) are common conditions affecting the adult population with an estimated prevalence of around 15%. Recent studies have assessed a potential association between SDB and reduction in bone mass in adult population. Nevertheless the results of these studies have been inconsistent. Moreover, it is still not known whether this potential association is also manifested in children. This thesis presents a systematic review with meta-analysis to synthesize the existing evidence on the potential association between SDB (including its severe form, i.e., obstructive sleep apnea [OSA]) and low bone mass in adults. In addition, the thesis contains a group of retrospective cross-sectional studies that were conducted in children to test the possible impact of SDB on their bone mass. We first illustrated that the association between SDB (more specifically OSA) and low bone mass in adults is plausible. However, the supporting evidence has potential risk of bias and available data is inconsistent. We next shown, through conducting 2 retrospective cross-sectional studies, that the association between SDB and low bone mass may also exist in children. Indeed, results of the first cross-sectional study illustrated that risk of SDB, as suggested by the Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ), may be associated with thinner mandibular cortical thickness (which has been strongly linked to skeletal bone density) in children. This possible association was also supported by the results of the second cross-sectional study, as it was illustrated that in children with a PSG-diagnosed severe form of SDB as induced by OSA was linked to a negative association with mandibular cortical width. We suggested that PSG-diagnosed OSA children had a thinner mandibular cortical width compared to healthy children with no reported sleep-breathing symptoms. Taken together, we believe that the identifying trends support the probable existence of an association between SDB and low bone mass in adults and in children. This should justify the implementation of future studies that rely on large-scale, multi-centers, clinical trials for a better assessment of this possible association for early diagnosis and intervention.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Sleep Disordered Breathing
  • Bone Density
  • Mandibular Cortical Width
  • Sleep Apnea

• Graduation date

  Fall 2017

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3H41K16N

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.