title: Stability of sagittal split osteotomies. A comparison of three stabilization techniques.
abstract: The objective of this study was to retrospectively evaluate stability of mandibular advancement after bilateral sagittal split osteotomies were performed. Three different fixation and immobilization protocols were examined. Thirty-three patients were evaluated with preoperative, immediate postoperative, and long-term (mean, 13 months) lateral cephalometric radiographs. The patients were divided into three groups: group 1 (n = 10) had nonrigid internal fixation and 6 weeks of maxillomandibular fixation, group 2 (n = 12) had rigid internal fixation and immediate postoperative function, and group 3 (n = 11) had rigid internal fixation with maxillomandibular fixation for a mean of 14 days. Group 3 had the least amount of sagittal and vertical relapse. Differences in sagittal relapse were statistically significant between groups 1 and 3. Group 2 demonstrated greater sagittal relapse than did group 3, although the result was not statistically significant. This study suggests that the use of rigid internal fixation with a period of maxillomandibular fixation appears to be more stable than nonrigid internal fixation with maxillomandibular fixation or rigid internal fixation without maxillomandibular fixation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Perrott
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pogrel
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Kaban
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001863:Bone Screws; D001864:Bone Wires; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007103:Immobilization; D016268:Internal Fixators; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012008:Recurrence; D063173:Retrognathia / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies