title: Modified sagittal split technique for patients with a high lingula.
abstract: Unfavorable fractures of the proximal fragment during the sagittal ramus split procedure, although uncommon, occur with an incidence ranging between 3% and 6.6%. One anatomic feature that may predispose to an unfavorable fracture is a thin mandibular ramus in the region of the medial osteotomy. One particular situation that can increase the risk of an unfavorable fracture is a lingula that is situated very high on the mandibular ramus. Even in a normal-sized mandibular ramus, a high lingula places the medial cut in a thin region where there is little or no cancellous bone. The technique presented is a modification of the sagittal split osteotomy which can assist the surgeon in preventing an unfavorable fracture should an unusually high lingula or a thin ramus be encountered.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Faculty (WOC), Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284-7908.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Aragon
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods*