The purpose of this study cephalometrically evaluated changes in the posterior airway space for patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS) before and after surgical advancement of the maxilla and mandible. The change in calculated airway resistance was correlated with the respiratory disturbance index(RDI). Twenty cephalometric radiographs were traced before and after surgery to determine the posterior airway area and calculate resistance. Polysomnograms of each patient were obtained before and after surgery. All patients had a decrease in calculated airflow resistance in the airway. The mean amount of resistance was 865.15 before surgery, decreasing to 192.65 after surgery (p<0.01). Eighty-five percent of the patients experienced improvement in their RDI. Reduction in the RDI appears to be due to an increase in the posterior airway space and decrease in flow resistance.