## 4 Discussion  
The selection criteria for our study included the absence of clinical signs and symptoms associated with pharyngeal pathology and no history of treatment interventions. The selection process relied on information extracted from clinical charts at the time of orthodontic diagnosis. Individuals with severe adenoid or tonsillar hypertrophy, indicative of infection or allergies, were excluded from the study to ensure a more homogeneous sample. A systematic review of the upper airway dimensions in different sagittal craniofacial patterns was conducted by [PERSON] et al. [3]; they highlighted that 75% of the included studies did not identify differences in nasopharyngeal dimensions among different craniofacial patterns. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline  & **Mean** & **SD** & \(p\)**-Value** \\ \hline
**Class I** & 22.28 & 3.355 & \\ \hline
**Class II** & 22.53 & 3.358 & 0.102 \\ \hline
**Class III** & 21.59 & 3.140 & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} ANOVA test.  
\end{table} 
Table 4: No significant difference in skeletal classification was observed based on age. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline  & & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Skeletal Classification**} \\ \cline{3-5}  & & **Class I** & **Class II** & **Class III** & **Total** \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Sex**} & **Male** & 49 & 44 & 50 & 143 \\ \cline{2-5}  & **Female** & 74 & 80 & 44 & 198 \\ \hline \hline \multicolumn{5}{c}{Total} & 123 & 124 & 94 & 341 \\ \hline \hline \multicolumn{5}{c}{Chi-square test: \(p\) = 0.027.} \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Chi-square test: \(p\) = 0.027.  
\end{table} 
Table 2: Association between sex and anteroposterior skeletal classification. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline  & & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Facial Growth Type**} & **Total** \\ \hline \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Gender} & **Hypodivergent (\(\leq\)15)** & \
\begin{tabular}{c} **Normalivergent** \\ **(\(\geq\)15, \(<\)24)** \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{c} **Hyperdivergent** \\ **(\(\geq\)24)** \\ \end{tabular} & \\ \cline{2-5}  & Male & 22 & 70 & 51 & 143 \\ \cline{2-5}  & Female & 13 & 105 & 80 & 198 \\ \hline \hline \multicolumn{5}{c}{Total} & 35 & 175 & 131 & 341 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Chi-square test \(p\) = 0.030.  
\end{table} 
Table 3: Association between sex and facial growth type. They also reported that automatic or semi-automatic 3D segmentation of the upper airway was considerably challenging, particularly in terms of the intricate anatomy of the nasal airway. The measurement method we used in our study was the same as that suggested by [PERSON] et al. [6]. However, we excluded the nasal area because a deviated septum, a narrow nasal cavity, and turbinate hypertrophy [12] could lead to artifact reconstruction and, therefore, could affect the resolution of the airway boundaries or CSA measurement. To effectively investigate the potential relationship between airway restriction and craniofacial growth using CBCT imaging, the reconstructed upper airway model must be reliable and valid. Reliability ensures consistent measurements over time and across different observers, and validity ensures the accuracy and appropriateness of a model's representation. Achieving reliability and validity involves careful image acquisition, segmentation, and validation using established standards and expert consensus [3]. While the majority of studies on the upper airway size reported no significant sexual differences [6; 13], [PERSON] et al. [14] reported variations in the retropalatal and retrolingual areas among patients with Class III malocclusion. Additionally, [PERSON] et al. [15] found that boys not only possess longer and wider airways but also exhibit a more rapid increase in size compared to girls. In line with these findings, our study also revealed a significant influence of sex on differences in anteroposterior and facial growth patterns. Pharyngeal structures exhibit rapid growth until the age of 13 years [16].