The number of Total Glossectomy cases in the United States is seeing an increasing trend as per the Nationwide Inpatient Sample Database. Patients, who have undergone such aggressive surgical procedures, have extensive limitations performing basic oral functions such as swallowing (deglutition), eating and speaking. Current rehabilitation prostheses do little in restoring the functionality of the original tongue. This is true especially in deglutition, which is necessary to transfer a bolus to the esophagus. Such patients need advanced prosthetic devices and through this research, investigations into potential solutions for prosthetic tongues to aid in deglutition were carried out. The process began with an extensive literature review that provided tongue position, motion, and pressure data during the swallowing stages. Several potential designs were considered such as using linkages and pneumatic networks (PneuNets). Based on a decision matrix, PneuNets were adopted as the foundational basis for generating prosthetic designs. Several prototypes were fabricated using Fused Filament Disposition for mold development and silicone Eco-flex 00-30 for actuator development. Each iteration involved tackling several design and manufacturing challenges especially when scaling these actuators from an initial experiment to an anatomical shape and size of a human tongue. A tongue of dimensions 1.8 inches wide, 2.4 inches long and 0.24 inches thick was developed. The PneuNet actuator was powered by a pneumatic system and kinematic data was collected using a tracking software. The data gathered provided validation comparisons between position trends exhibited in the literature. Theoretical deflection models were generated for analyzing the deflection of the front, middle and back sections of the tongue prototype. Details from literature review, design iterations, simulations, validation processes, research challenges and conclusions will be discussed in depth.

This study evaluated the effects of a partial glossectomy on: (1) tongue velocity, movement range, and height during speech and (2) vowel production. Videofluoroscopy and cine-MRI of single German words were used to study pre- and postoperative tongue movement in seven glossectomees. Postoperative principal component analyses demonstrated reduced complexity of lingual movement. For the videofluoroscopic data, four of the five patients exhibited reduced postoperative tongue velocity, while one patient exhibited a postoperative increase. Patients produced the words with a slower speech rate after the surgery. The mean differences between pre- and postoperative average tongue height and movement range were small and variable. The cine-MRI data did not indicate a change in postoperative tongue movement range and height. The acoustic results indicated that the vowel /u/ was produced with a more neutral tongue position, postoperatively. The present study demonstrated how tongue movement can be analyzed quantitatively based on videofluorospcopy and cine-MRI.

This study evaluated the effects of a partial glossectomy on: (1) tongue velocity, movement range, and height during speech and (2) vowel production. Videofluoroscopy and cine-MRI of single German words were used to study pre- and postoperative tongue movement in seven glossectomees. Postoperative principal component analyses demonstrated reduced complexity of lingual movement. For the videofluoroscopic data, four of the five patients exhibited reduced postoperative tongue velocity, while one patient exhibited a postoperative increase. Patients produced the words with a slower speech rate after the surgery. The mean differences between pre- and postoperative average tongue height and movement range were small and variable. The cine-MRI data did not indicate a change in postoperative tongue movement range and height. The acoustic results indicated that the vowel /u/ was produced with a more neutral tongue position, postoperatively. The present study demonstrated how tongue movement can be analyzed quantitatively based on videofluorospcopy and cine-MRI.

O objetivo principal deste estudo foi avaliar a influência da adaptação da prótese rebaixadora de palato na inteligibilidade e na ressonância de fala, e nas características acústicas espectrográficas dos três primeiros formantes das vogais orais do português brasileiro de pacientes submetidos à glossectomia. Participaram 36 pacientes, 33 do sexo masculino e 3 do sexo feminino, com idades entre 30 e 80 anos (Média=53,91±10,53 anos), sendo 14 submetidos à glossectomia total, 12 à glossectomia total e mandibulectomia parcial, 6 à hemiglossectomia e, 4 à glossectomia subtotal. Amostras de fala (conversa espontânea e repetição de 18 sílabas) de pacientes com e sem prótese foram randomizadas e a ressonância e inteligibilidade de fala foram julgadas por 2 fonoaudiólogos. Também foi realizada a análise espectrográfica dos formantes das 7 vogais do português brasileiro com e sem prótese, extraindo-se as médias dos três primeiros formantes. Houve melhora significante na inteligibilidade de fala e de sílabas após adaptação da prótese rebaixadora de palato (p < 0,001). Não houve diferença estatística nos julgamentos da ressonância com e sem prótese. Existiu diferença significante na situação com e sem prótese para o primeiro formante nas vogais /a/, /e/, /u/ (p < 0,001) e tendência estatística na vogal /o/ (p = 0,09); para segundo formante nas vogais /o/, / /, /u/ (p < 0,001), e tendência estatística nas vogais /e/ (p = 0,058) e /i/ (p = 0,080) e para o terceiro formante nas vogais /a/ e / / (p < 0,001). A prótese rebaixadora de palato melhorou a inteligibilidade da fala espontânea e das sílabas dos pacientes glossectomizados. Também aumentou os valores de F2 e F3 para todas as vogais e, de F1 para as vogais /o/, / /, /u/. Isto gerou uma aproximação dos valores dos formantes da maioria das vogais junto aos valores de normalidade. / The main objective of this study was to assess the influence of the palatal augmentation prostheses on speech intelligibility, ressonance and acoustic spectrographic characteristics of the first three formants of oral vowels in Brazilian Portuguese, in patients submitted to glossectomy. Thirty-six (33 men and 3 women), aged 30 to 80 years (mean = 53.9 ±10.5 years) underwent glossectomy (14 = total glossectomy; 12 = total glossectomy associated partial mandibulectomy; 6=hemiglossectomy, and 4 = subtotal glossectomy) constituted the study sample. Speech samples (spontaneous conversation and repetition of 18 syllables) from the patients with and without prosthesis were randomly distributed and the resonance and speech intelligibility were judged by 2 speech language pathologist. A spectrographic assessment of formants of the 7 vowels of Brazilian Portuguese, with and without prosthesis, was performed. The mean values of the first three formants were extracted. There was a statistically significant improvement of the spontaneous speech intelligibility and of the average number of correctly identified syllables with the use of the prosthesis (p<0.05). The speech resonance results have not demonstrated a significant reduction in hypernasality with the palatal augmentation prostheses in place. Statistically significant differences occurred in F1 values for the vowels /a/, /e/, /u/, for F2, there was a significant difference in the vowels /o/, / /, /u/; and for F3, there was a significant difference in the vowels /a/, / / (p < 0.001). Palatal augmentation prosthesis improved intelligibility of spontaneous speech and syllables in glossectomized patients. It also increased F2 and F3 values for all vowels and F1 values for the vowels /o/, / /, /u/. This effect has brought the values of many vowel formants closer to normality.

O objetivo principal deste estudo foi avaliar a influência da adaptação da prótese rebaixadora de palato na inteligibilidade e na ressonância de fala, e nas características acústicas espectrográficas dos três primeiros formantes das vogais orais do português brasileiro de pacientes submetidos à glossectomia. Participaram 36 pacientes, 33 do sexo masculino e 3 do sexo feminino, com idades entre 30 e 80 anos (Média=53,91±10,53 anos), sendo 14 submetidos à glossectomia total, 12 à glossectomia total e mandibulectomia parcial, 6 à hemiglossectomia e, 4 à glossectomia subtotal. Amostras de fala (conversa espontânea e repetição de 18 sílabas) de pacientes com e sem prótese foram randomizadas e a ressonância e inteligibilidade de fala foram julgadas por 2 fonoaudiólogos. Também foi realizada a análise espectrográfica dos formantes das 7 vogais do português brasileiro com e sem prótese, extraindo-se as médias dos três primeiros formantes. Houve melhora significante na inteligibilidade de fala e de sílabas após adaptação da prótese rebaixadora de palato (p < 0,001). Não houve diferença estatística nos julgamentos da ressonância com e sem prótese. Existiu diferença significante na situação com e sem prótese para o primeiro formante nas vogais /a/, /e/, /u/ (p < 0,001) e tendência estatística na vogal /o/ (p = 0,09); para segundo formante nas vogais /o/, / /, /u/ (p < 0,001), e tendência estatística nas vogais /e/ (p = 0,058) e /i/ (p = 0,080) e para o terceiro formante nas vogais /a/ e / / (p < 0,001). A prótese rebaixadora de palato melhorou a inteligibilidade da fala espontânea e das sílabas dos pacientes glossectomizados. Também aumentou os valores de F2 e F3 para todas as vogais e, de F1 para as vogais /o/, / /, /u/. Isto gerou uma aproximação dos valores dos formantes da maioria das vogais junto aos valores de normalidade. / The main objective of this study was to assess the influence of the palatal augmentation prostheses on speech intelligibility, ressonance and acoustic spectrographic characteristics of the first three formants of oral vowels in Brazilian Portuguese, in patients submitted to glossectomy. Thirty-six (33 men and 3 women), aged 30 to 80 years (mean = 53.9 ±10.5 years) underwent glossectomy (14 = total glossectomy; 12 = total glossectomy associated partial mandibulectomy; 6=hemiglossectomy, and 4 = subtotal glossectomy) constituted the study sample. Speech samples (spontaneous conversation and repetition of 18 syllables) from the patients with and without prosthesis were randomly distributed and the resonance and speech intelligibility were judged by 2 speech language pathologist. A spectrographic assessment of formants of the 7 vowels of Brazilian Portuguese, with and without prosthesis, was performed. The mean values of the first three formants were extracted. There was a statistically significant improvement of the spontaneous speech intelligibility and of the average number of correctly identified syllables with the use of the prosthesis (p<0.05). The speech resonance results have not demonstrated a significant reduction in hypernasality with the palatal augmentation prostheses in place. Statistically significant differences occurred in F1 values for the vowels /a/, /e/, /u/, for F2, there was a significant difference in the vowels /o/, / /, /u/; and for F3, there was a significant difference in the vowels /a/, / / (p < 0.001). Palatal augmentation prosthesis improved intelligibility of spontaneous speech and syllables in glossectomized patients. It also increased F2 and F3 values for all vowels and F1 values for the vowels /o/, / /, /u/. This effect has brought the values of many vowel formants closer to normality.

Submitted by Fabíola Silva (fabiola.silva@famerp.br) on 2016-07-07T14:53:19Z No. of bitstreams: 1 nelsoneduardopariscolombini_tese.pdf: 1169627 bytes, checksum: 03fca276c069c91787d1fa8a3e196bc3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-07T14:53:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 nelsoneduardopariscolombini_tese.pdf: 1169627 bytes, checksum: 03fca276c069c91787d1fa8a3e196bc3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-22 / Introduction: To describe the results obtained by the Maxillo Mandibular Advancement (MMA), associated to a glossectomy of Medium Line (GML) to CO2 Laser in the surgical treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypoapnea Syndrome (ASOSH), from moderate to severe, with adequate analysis of macroscstruture e microstructure of the sleep. Casuistics and Method: In the period from February 2005 to December 2008, 22 sequencial patients with ASOSH, from moderate to severe, with or without maxillary mandibular bone alterations, were selected. These patients were submitted to MMP plus GML using a CO2 laser. All patients underwent clinical, polissonographic and cephalometric evaluations. The polissonographic parameters used were: IAH, MD, Minimum SAT O2% < measured in minutes, sleep stages N1, N2, N3 and REM, preoperative and postoperative. The cephalometric parameters used were: SNA, SNB, PAS, PP2 – PP2, preoperative and postoperative. Results: Evaluation of eventual differences in the preoperative and postoperative moments were investigated with the appropriate statistical tools. The surgical treatment proved to be effective in 8, out of 22 of the cases (36.36%), according to international criteria of normality. On the other hand, in these patients the IAH was not the best parameter to evaluate the therapeutic success. The MD (68.18% of improvement), stage N3 (59.09% of improvement) and Minimum SAT O2% < 90 measured in minutes (81.81% of improvement) demonstrated that they were the best instruments for characterizing the laboratorial control of the disease. Discussion: The MMA has expanded the dimensions of the pharynx and the hypopharynx. The GLM was associated in order to maximize the VAS, improve the stability of the dental occlusion, as well as the function of the temporomandibular joint, reducing the morbidity of the procedure. A postoperative evaluation with polysomnography showed improvements of the parameters in both macro and microarchitecture of the sleep (in relation to preoperative findings), besides proving that the IAH is not the best parameter for a postoperative evaluation (this applies to the patients of this series). Conclusions: The surgical treatment performed with MMA, associated to the GLM with CO2 laser was effective to treat patients with from ASOSH : - The improvement using the most accepted parameter by the international community (IAH < 5/ hour) was 8 out of the 22 (36.36%); - The IAH was not the best instrument to evaluate the control of the disease; - Were MD, stage N3 and Minimum SAT O2% < 90 measured in minutes showed that they are good indicators of the control of the disease (postoperative moment); - The Minimum SAT O2% < 90 measured in minutes was the best parameter in the evaluation of the surgical treatment (18/22 or 81.81%). / Introdução: Descrever os resultados obtidos pelo Avanço Maxilo-Mandibular (AMM) associados à Glossectomia de Linha Média (GLM) a Laser CO2 no tratamento cirúrgico da Síndrome da Apnéia/Hipopnéia Obstrutiva do Sono (SAHOS) moderada e severa, usando instrumentos estatísticos que avaliem a arquiquetura do sono quanto à macro e micro estrutura para adequada e real avaliação dos resultados obtidos pelo tratamento proposto. Casuística e Método: No período de fevereiro de 2005 a dezembro de 2008 foram selecionados 22 pacientes seqüenciais portadores de SAHOS moderada e severa, com ou sem alterações esqueléticas maxilo-mandibulares. Estes pacientes foram submetidos à AMM, mais GLM com laser de CO2. Todos pacientes tiveram avaliação clínica, polissonográfica e cefalométrica. Os parâmetros polissonográficos utilizados foram: IAH, MD, SAT O2 % Mínima < 90 medida em minutos, estágios do sono N1, N2, N3 e REM, pré e pós-operatório. Os parâmetros cefalométricos utilizados foram: SNA, SNB, PAS, PP2 – PP2’ pré e pós-operatório. Resultados: Avaliação de eventuais diferenças nos momentos pré e pós-operatório foram investigadas com ferramenta estatística apropriada. O tratamento cirúrgico mostrou-se eficaz em 8/22 (36,36%) dos casos, segundo critérios internacionais de normalidade. Por outro lado nestes pacientes o IAH não foi o melhor parâmetro para avaliar sucesso terapêutico. MD (68,18% melhora), estágio N3 (59,09% de melhora) e SAT O2% Mínima < 90 medida em minutos (81,81% de melhora) mostraram-se melhores instrumentos para caracterizar controle laboratorial da enfermidade. Discussão: O AMM ampliou as dimensões da faringe e hipofaringe. A GLM foi associada para maximizar a VAS, aumentar a estabilidade da oclusão dentária e função da articulação têmporo-mandibular, reduzindo a morbidade do procedimento. Avaliação pós-operatória com polissonografia demonstrou melhora de parâmetros de macro e micro-arquitetura do sono (em relação aos achados pré-operatórios), além de comprovar não ser o IAH o melhor parâmetro para avaliação pós-operatória (isto para os pacientes desta série). Conclusões: – O tratamento cirúrgico com AMM associado à GLM com laser de CO2 foi eficaz para tratar pacientes com SAHOS: – A melhora utilizando o parâmetro mais aceito pela comunidade internacional (IAH < 5/hora) foi de 8/22 (36,36%); – IAH não foi o melhor instrumento para avaliação do controle da enfermidade; – MD, estágio N3 e SAT O2% Mínima < 90 medida em minutos mostraram-se bons indicadores de controle da enfermidade (momento pós-operatório); – SAT O2% Mínima < 90 medida em minutos foi o melhor parâmetro na avaliação do tratamento cirúrgico (18/22 ou 81,81%).

Ce travail étudie les corrélats cérébraux de l’adaptation de la parole et de la motricité oro-faciale après l’exérèse chirurgicale d’une tumeur intra-orale. Une attention particulière est portée à la recherche de corrélats révélant une redéfinition des buts de la tâche, une réorganisation de la coordination motrice, et une modification des représentations internes du système moteur.Trois tâches ont été étudiées : production de mouvements oro-faciaux silencieux ; production de voyelles ; production de syllabes. Les activités cérébrales ont été mesurées par IRM fonctionnelle au cours de 4 sessions, en pré-opératoire, puis 1 mois, 3 mois et 9 mois après la chirurgie. Onze patients et onze sujets sains ont été enregistrés. Pour les patients, trois types de données informant sur leur récupération motrice ont été acquis aux mêmes périodes : données praxiques ; signal acoustique de parole ; auto-évaluation de la qualité de parole. Trois analyses statistiques ont été menées sur les données cérébrales : (1) une analyse « cerveau entier » sur les amplitudes des activations ; (2) une analyse de la localisation de l’activation principale dans le cortex moteur primaire ; (3) une analyse en régions d’intérêt dans le réseau cérébral de la parole, via un modèle linéaire général dans lequel le facteur Groupe (Patients/Sains) a été remplacé par une covariable continue, l’« Indice d’Adaptation Motrice » ou « IAM », mesurant le niveau de dégradation de la parole, puis son amélioration dans les mois suivants l’opération. Les effets et les interactions des facteurs Groupe (ou IAM), Session et Tâche sur la variable dépendante ont ainsi été mesurés. Toutes tâches et toutes sessions confondues, les patients se distinguent des sujets sains par une activité cérébrale plus faible dans les zones sensori-motrices oro-faciales. Des effets de la session sont observés pour toutes les tâches, pour les patients et les sujets sains. Seules les tâches de motricité silencieuse et de production des voyelles révèlent des effets de la session sur l’activité cérébrale significativement différents pour les patients et les sujets sains. Ainsi, pour la motricité silencieuse, 1 mois après l’opération, les patients montrent, pour la tâche linguale, une forte activité dans le Lobule Pariétal Supérieur (LPS) et dans le Cortex Pré-Frontal Dorso-Latéral (CPFDL). Pour les voyelles, 3 mois après la chirurgie, l’activité cérébrale des patients décroît dans le cervelet et croît fortement dans le Lobule Pariétal Inférieur ; de 3 à 9 mois après la chirurgie, l’activité croît dans les zones motrices (Cortex Moteur Primaire et Aire Motrice Supplémentaire) et elle décroît dans le Gyrus Temporal Supérieur. Les patients montrent aussi 1 mois après l’opération, tous articulateurs confondus, une localisation plus dorsale de l’activité dans le Cortex Moteur Primaire. Pour des tâches motrices silencieuses, nos observations suggèrent que, immédiatement après l’opération, les patients pourraient réactualiser leur modèle interne du système moteur (activité dans le LPS), devenu imprécis, tout en ré-élaborant leurs stratégies de coordination (activité dans le CPFDL). Pour la production des voyelles, tâche plus complexe et plus précise, nos résultats suggèrent que 3 mois après l’opération, les patients utiliseraient moins les modèles internes devenus trop imprécis. Le retour à une activation forte dans les zones motrices 9 mois après l’intervention suggère que l’adaptation de la production des voyelles est quasiment achevée, et la baisse concomitante de l’activation dans le cortex auditif est cohérente avec l’hypothèse qu’il existerait de nouveau une adéquation entre la copie d’efférence auditive et le feedback auditif externe. Pour la production de syllabes, les résultats sont les moins pertinents parmi les 3 tâches. Une réorganisation plus tardive, au-delà de 9 mois, due à la plus grande complexité de la tâche, pourrait en être une explication potentielle. / This thesis investigates the cerebral correlates of the adaptation of speech production and orofacial motor skills after the exeresis of a tumor in the intraoral cavity. A special focus has been given to searching for correlates associated with a redefinition of the task’s goals, a reorganization of motor coordination, or a change in the internal representations of the peripheral motor system. Three tasks were investigated: non-audible oro-facial movements, vowel production, and syllable production. Brain activity was measured using fMRI longitudinally across 4 sessions: before surgery, and at 1, 3 and 9 months after surgery. Eleven patients and eleven healthy subjects were recorded. For the patients only, 3 additional kinds of data were collected in parallel to the fMRI, in order to assess, at each stage of the clinical process, the improvement of oro-facial motor skills: scores assessing orofacial praxis, acoustic speech signal, and a self-evaluation of speech production quality. Three statistical analyses were run on the fMRI data: (1) a “whole brain” analysis, which is based on brain activity amplitudes; (2) an analysis of the localization of the strongest activity in the primary motor cortex; (3) an analysis of Regions of Interest located in the speech production/perception cerebral network, using a General Linear Model. In this third analysis, the independent “Group” factor has been replaced by a continuous covariable, called “Motor Adaptation Index” (MAI), that quantitatively measures the degradation of speech production 1 month after surgery, and then its improvement in the subsequent months. The main effects of the “Group” (or MAI), “Session” and “Task” factors have been estimated, together with their interactions.All the tasks and all the sessions taken together, patients show significantly lower activity than healthy subjects in the orofacial sensorimotor regions. Significant main effects of the “Session” factor are also observed for all the tasks, for the patients as well as for the healthy subjects. Only non-audible motor tasks and vowel production tasks show for the “Session” factor effects that are significantly different for the patients and the healthy subjects. For non-audible lingual movements, 1 month after surgery, the patients show a high level of activity in the Superior Parietal Lobule (SPL) and DorsoLateral PreFrontal Cortex (DLPFC). For patients’ vowel production, 3 months after surgery activity decreases in the cerebellum and strongly increases in the Inferior Parietal Lobule (IPL), while from 3 to 9 months after surgery, the activity increases in the motor regions (Primary Motor Cortex, Supplementary Motor Area), and decreases in the Superior Temporal Gyrus (STG). In addition, 1 month after the surgery, patients show, for all tasks, Primary Motor Cortex activity located more dorsally than in the other sessions.For non-audible oro-facial motor tasks, our results suggest that immediately after surgery patients might have to re-tune their internal model of the peripheral motor system (SPL activity), which is no longer accurate, while redefining their coordination strategies (DLPFC activity). For vowel production, a more skilled and demanding task, stronger modifications of the patients’ internal model could be necessary 3 months after surgery. Nine months after surgery, the simultaneous increase of activity in the motor regions and decrease of activity in the STG suggest for vowel production that the adaptation has almost been achieved, with regained consistency between the efferent copy and auditory feedback. Syllable production tasks show no significant patient specific changes across sessions, possibly due to the greater complexity of the task as compared to the other two.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-01-26T12:51:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 nelsoncolombini_tese.pdf: 1052278 bytes, checksum: 65caf5c2304f80f9167fa51d736325f5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-22 / To describe the results obtained by the Maxillo Mandibular Advancement (MMA), associated to a glossectomy of Medium Line (GML) to CO2 Laser in the surgical treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypoapnea Syndrome (ASOSH), from moderate to severe, with adequate analysis of macroscstruture e microstructure of the sleep. Casuistics and Method: In the period from February 2005 to December 2008, 22 sequencial patients with ASOSH, from moderate to severe, with or without maxillary mandibular bone alterations, were selected. These patients were submitted to MMP plus GML using a CO2 laser. All patients underwent clinical, polissonographic and cephalometric evaluations. The polissonographic parameters used were: IAH, MD, Minimum SAT O2% < measured in minutes, sleep stages N1, N2, N3 and REM, preoperative and postoperative. The cephalometric parameters used were: SNA, SNB, PAS, PP2 PP2, preoperative and postoperative. Results: Evaluation of eventual differences in the preoperative and postoperative moments were investigated with the appropriate statistical tools. The surgical treatment proved to be effective in 8, out of 22 of the cases (36.36%), according to international criteria of normality. On the other hand, in these patients the IAH was not the best parameter to evaluate the therapeutic success. The MD (68.18% of improvement), stage N3 (59.09% of improvement) and Minimum SAT O2% < 90 measured in minutes (81.81% of improvement) demonstrated that they were the best instruments for characterizing the laboratorial control of the disease. Discussion: The MMA has expanded the dimensions of the pharynx and the hypopharynx. The GLM was associated in order to maximize the VAS, improve the stability of the dental occlusion, as well as the function of the temporomandibular joint, reducing the morbidity of the procedure. A postoperative evaluation with polysomnography showed improvements of the parameters in both macro and microarchitecture of the sleep (in relation to preoperative findings), besides proving that the IAH is not the best parameter for a postoperative evaluation (this applies to the patients of this series). Conclusions: The surgical treatment performed with MMA, associated to the GLM with CO2 laser was effective to treat patients with from ASOSH : - The improvement using the most accepted parameter by the international community (IAH < 5/ hour) was 8 out of the 22 (36.36%); - The IAH was not the best instrument to evaluate the control of the disease; - Were MD, stage N3 and Minimum SAT O2% < 90 measured in minutes showed that they are good indicators of the control of the disease (postoperative moment); - The Minimum SAT O2% < 90 measured in minutes was the best parameter in the evaluation of the surgical treatment (18/22 or 81.81%). / Descrever os resultados obtidos pelo Avanço Maxilo- Mandibular (AMM) associados à Glossectomia de Linha Média (GLM) a Laser CO2 no tratamento cirúrgico da Síndrome da Apnéia/Hipopnéia Obstrutiva do Sono (SAHOS) moderada e severa, usando instrumentos estatísticos que avaliem a arquiquetura do sono quanto à macro e micro estrutura para adequada e real avaliação dos resultados obtidos pelo tratamento proposto. Casuística e Método: No período de fevereiro de 2005 a dezembro de 2008 foram selecionados 22 pacientes seqüenciais portadores de SAHOS moderada e severa, com ou sem alterações esqueléticas maxilo-mandibulares. Estes pacientes foram submetidos à AMM, mais GLM com laser de CO2. Todos pacientes tiveram avaliação clínica, polissonográfica e cefalométrica. Os parâmetros polissonográficos utilizados foram: IAH, MD, SAT O2 % Mínima < 90 medida em minutos, estágios do sono N1, N2, N3 e REM, pré e pósoperatório. Os parâmetros cefalométricos utilizados foram: SNA, SNB, PAS, PP2 PP2 pré e pós-operatório. Resultados: Avaliação de eventuais diferenças nos momentos pré e pós-operatório foram investigadas com ferramenta estatística apropriada. O tratamento cirúrgico mostrou-se eficaz em 8/22 (36,36%) dos casos, segundo critérios internacionais de normalidade. Por outro lado nestes pacientes o IAH não foi o melhor parâmetro para avaliar sucesso terapêutico. MD (68,18% melhora), estágio N3 (59,09% de melhora) e SAT O2% Mínima < 90 medida em minutos (81,81% de melhora) mostraram-se melhores instrumentos para caracterizar controle laboratorial da enfermidade.Discussão: O AMM ampliou as dimensões da faringe e hipofaringe. A GLM foi associada para maximizar a VAS, aumentar a estabilidade da oclusão dentária e função da articulação têmporo-mandibular, reduzindo a morbidade do procedimento. Avaliação pós-operatória com polissonografia demonstrou melhora de parâmetros de macro e micro-arquitetura do sono (em relação aos achados pré-operatórios), além de comprovar não ser o IAH o melhor parâmetro para avaliação pós-operatória (isto para os pacientes desta série). Conclusões: O tratamento cirúrgico com AMM associado à GLM com laser de CO2 foi eficaz para tratar pacientes com SAHOS: A melhora utilizando o parâmetro mais aceito pela comunidade internacional (IAH < 5/hora) foi de 8/22 (36,36%); IAH não foi o melhor instrumento para avaliação do controle da enfermidade; MD, estágio N3 e SAT O2% Mínima < 90 medida em minutos mostraram-se bons indicadores de controle da enfermidade (momento pósoperatório); SAT O2% Mínima < 90 medida em minutos foi o melhor parâmetro na avaliação do tratamento cirúrgico (18/22 ou 81,81%).