Velopharyngeal Incompetence in Musicians: A State-of-the-Art Review

Abstract

The velopalatine sphincter is a muscular valve that creates a hermetic seal between the nasopharynx and the oropharynx. It guarantees phonation, swallowing, and breathing (forces expirations). In wind musicians, sphincter closure must be precise during sound generation. Its failure will cause velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) and the end of professional success. The objective of this article was to conduct a state-of-art review of VPI in wind musicians with a systematic approach based on the PRISMA Statement. The etiology, epidemiology, clinic, diagnosis, and treatment of VPI in wind musicians were evaluated. The research was carried out in different databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Scielo) and through the Mergullador metasearch engine. A total of 20 publications were selected. VPI is a pathology that affects around one-third of wind musicians according to studies. It causes pharyngeal noises and nasal air emissions during performance. The main etiology seems to be the fatigue of the velopalatine sphincter muscles. The most used diagnostic techniques consist of clinical history, physical examination, and nasofibroscopy. There is no consensus among authors about therapeutic management. Future investigations are necessary to confirm that fatigue of velopalatine sphincter muscles and other factors that increase it are the main causes of VPI in wind musicians.