Scientific overview
The vibration or collapse of the soft palate is a significant contributor to snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
When tissue in the upper airway flutters or vibrates, it can cause snoring; OSA occurs when
tissue collapses and/or blocks the upper airway. Studies suggest that the soft palate is involved in more than 80% of
snoring and OSA patients.1,2 As muscles in the upper airway relax during sleep, unsupported or
excess tissue in the back of the mouth (i.e. palate, tonsils, uvula and adenoids) and throat (pharyngeal walls and epiglottis)
collapse, thereby, reducing the cross-sectional area of the airway. For a constant volume
of inspired air, the air speed through the collapsed region must increase.
Whenever there is an increase in air velocity, there is also a corresponding drop in pressure.
This lower pressure leads to the creation of a lifting force similar to that of an airplane
wing. In the airway, this creates an imbalance of forces. The palate vibrates as the
aerodynamic forces overwhelm the structural integrity of the palate resulting in snoring
sounds. When the negative pressure in the airway reaches a critical point, the combination
of collapsible tissues and loss of muscle tone causes airway collapse or obstruction resulting
in OSA.
The Pillar Palatal Implant System changes the soft palate structure and its response to
airflow. Placing three tiny implants into the muscle of the soft palate tissue adds structural support to and stiffens the soft palate.
Like an airplane wing, most of the lift forces are generated at the leading edge, where the
soft and hard palate meet. Therefore, placing implants at the junction of the hard and soft palate directly stiffens
the area of the palate that initiates movement. This stiffening increases the "critical" air
speed required to initiate palate movement, leading to a decrease in snoring and a reduction
in the ability of the soft palate to obstruct the airway.
The implants are also designed to take advantage of the body's natural response to a foreign
object by: stimulating tissue ingrowth into each implant; forming a fibrous capsule around each
implant; and, generating fibrous cross-linking between the implants. This fibrotic response causes
the tissue around the implants to become stiffer than the original tissue, effectively reducing both
the flutter that can cause snoring and the ability of the soft palate to obstruct the upper airway.
Histological results confirmed that the implants should be placed as close as possible without touching
to achieve maximum stiffening. An implant should be no more than 2 mm away from an adjacent implant in
order to achieve the fibrotic responses that contribute to lateral stiffening and cross linking of tissue,
effectively making a bridge of stiffer tissue between the implants.
1. Katsantonis GP, Moss K, Miyazaki S et al. Determining the site of airway collapse in
obstructive sleep apnea with airway pressure monitoring. Laryngoscope 1993;
103:1126-1131Read More
2. Quinn, SJ, Daly, N, Ellis PD, Observation of the mechanism of snoring using sleep
nasoendoscopy, Clinical Otolaryngology 1995:20(4);360-6. Read More
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