Relación entre la posición hioidea, la posición lingual y la dimensión de la vía aérea faríngea en pacientes con maloclusión esquelética clase II. Revisión bibliográfica

Abstract

Class II skeletal malocclusion can be characterized by increased sagittal maxillary growth and/or micrognathia or mandibular retrusion combined with myofunctional alterations that can modify tongue posture, hyoid bone position, and pharyngeal airway caliber. These structures maintain a functional relationship that influences craniocervical facial balance and respiratory permeability. The objective of this review was to synthesize recent evidence (2020–2025) on the association between resting tongue posture, hyoid position, and airway dimensions in subjects with skeletal Class II malocclusion. A search was conducted on websites such as Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar under PRISMA 2020 criteria, selecting 25 studies. Most of the articles analyzed report that Class II patients have a more posterior and inferior hyoid position, low or retracted tongue posture, and a significant reduction in oropharyngeal space. According to reports, these alterations are mainly associated with mandibular retrusion and mouth breathing patterns. Three-dimensional studies confirm that Class II shows lower pharyngeal volumes, while cephalometric analyses reveal correlations between tongue position and airway dimensions. It is concluded that the tongue-hyoid-airway triad shows consistent modifications in Class II, although there is methodological variability between studies. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive evaluations that include functional and volumetric parameters to improve clinical decision-making.