Abstract: Objective：To explore the curative effect of hard palate shortening (HPS) combined with uvulopalatopharyngolasty (UPPP) in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Methods： Sixteen patients with OSAHS were subjected to HPS combined with UPPP. The pre-and post-ESS scores, polysomnography (PSG), Muller test, and cephalometric data were compared. Results：The grade of ESS, PSG and SaO2 was statistically significant (P＜0.05), and the upper airway space was obviously wider than that of the pre-operative. It was showed by Mueller′s method that the collapse degree of the pharyngeal wall was significantly decreased during inspiration. Conclusion： For OSAHS patients with an obviously narrow bony pharyngonasal and velopharyngeal cavity， HPS combined with UPPP improves not only the surgical effective power but also the curative rate.

Key words: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, Hard palate shortening, Uvulopalatopharyngolasty, Cephalometrics