Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a kind of disease characterized by repetitive pharyngeal collapse during sleep, and its pathogenesis involves multiple aspects. In this paper, from the aspect of biomechanics, various factors that might induce sleep apnea were studied based on anatomic and physiological characteristics of human upper respiratory system, and biomechanical models of OSAHS reported in recent years as well as potential mechanical pathogenesis of OSAHS were then analyzed. Finally, the prospects of future researches on OSAHS biomechanics were discussed. Establishing the biomechanical model of upper airways is an effective method not only important for studying pathogenesis of OSAHS, but also helpful for preoperative assessment and postoperative predictions for OSAHS treatment in clinic.