Upper airways modelling and validation of mandibular advancement surgery.

Background

Most Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) treatments use cross-sectional examination of the Upper Airways (UA) to determine decreasing gap and UA length. Surgery is detrimental to all OSA patients, stressing the need for better assessment.

Objective

This study integrates Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) with physical model validation to improve OSA prediction and turbulence model accuracy and dependability.

Methods

The k-omega SST turbulence model is used to analyse OSA using CFD. SLS is used to build a physical model of the UA for CFD simulations. The UA's physical model is then compared to the OSA-recommended CFD turbulence model to verify simulation-physical reality coherence. Result: The average UA pressure differential decreases considerably after mandibular advancement surgery. The Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) increases after surgery, indicating more turbulence. Cross-validation of the physical model confirms the OSA CFD turbulence simulation's validity.

Conclusion

The study concludes that matching UA simulations with physical models improves OSA assessments. CFD with established physical models is a reliable method for assessing OSA therapy, especially surgical operations. The post-surgery increase in TKE needs more study to determine its effects on OSA treatment outcomes.