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Speech intelligibility following maxillectomy with and without a prosthesis: an analysis of 54 cases
Author(s) -
Umino S.,
Masuda G.,
Ono S.,
Fujita K.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of oral rehabilitation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2842
pISSN - 0305-182X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2842.1998.00238.x
Subject(s) - prosthesis , medicine , intelligibility (philosophy) , dentistry , resection , statistical analysis , prosthesis implantation , audiology , orthodontics , surgery , mathematics , philosophy , statistics , epistemology
To statistically evaluate the factors that influenced speech following maxillectomy, the speech intelligibility (SI) in 54 patients was measured with and without a prosthesis. The mean SI score without a prosthesis in all patients was 35.7 ± 22.7% and that with a prosthesis was 84.9 ± 12.7%. The results of the postmaxillectomy SI statistical analysis revealed that an oro–nasal communication was one of the factors that influenced SI without a prosthesis. The resection of the anterior portion of the soft palate was one of the factors that influenced SI with a prosthesis, which suggested that for some of these patients we should consider specific surgical treatment, aimed at the reconstruction in the deep defect extending to the intratemporal fossa. A new classification of maxillary defects has been proposed which will help to predict the grade of postmaxillectomy speech disorder following surgery.