title: Changes in bite force and dentoskeletal morphology in prognathic patients after orthognathic surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to evaluate the changes in bite force and dentoskeletal morphology in prognathic patients after orthognathic surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four patients underwent orthognathic surgery to correct Class III skeletal and dental malocclusions. Ten patients who underwent Le Fort I and bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy of the mandible (ie, surgical correction of 2 jaws) and 14 patients who underwent only bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy (ie, surgical correction of 1 jaw) were compared. Bite force was measured preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. The dentoskeletal morphology was assessed through lateral cephalograms obtained preoperatively and 12 months postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve months postoperatively, the bite force was significantly greater in the patients who underwent surgery on 1 jaw than in the patients who underwent surgery on 2 jaws. Significant decreases in the gonial angle, occlusal plane angle, and anterior facial height were observed postoperatively in the patients with 1 surgically corrected jaw, but not in the patients with 2 surgically corrected jaws. Patients with 2 surgically corrected jaws experienced a greater increase in the Frankfort mandibular plane angle and a greater decrease in the posterior facial height than did those with 1 surgically corrected jaw.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The difference in the preoperative-to-postoperative change in dentoskeletal morphology between the 2 groups is one of the factors responsible for the significant difference in postoperative bite force between the 2 groups.
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan. harada.osur@tmd.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morishima
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohkura
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Omura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001732:Bite Force; D002508:Cephalometry; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008313:Malocclusion, Angle Class III / Q000601:surgery; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods; D019340:Osteotomy, Le Fort / Q000145:classification; D011378:Prognathism / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014716:Vertical Dimension