An alternative soft tissue analysis following mandibular setback by sagittal split ramus osteotomy.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine alternative ratios of soft-to-hard tissue movement after mandibular setback, taking skeletal relapse and differing patterns of facial divergence into account.


METHODS
Thirty patients were analyzed cephalometrically over a mean follow-up period of 14 months.


RESULTS
The relationship between skeletal and soft tissue movements in the mentolabial folds and at the pogonion was 1:1. Final skeletal relapse was 0.8 mm at the B-point and 0.5 mm at the pogonion. Hence, the alternative ratios were 81% and 68%, respectively. The alternative ratio for the mentolabial sulcus was considerably lower in the low- than in the high- and medium-angle groups of patients. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the patient groups with different facial patterns.


CONCLUSIONS
When the smallness of the measured relapse and the tracing error are taken into account, the difference between the alternative and the conventional ratios was insignificant.
Iizuka
Tateyuki
T
Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Bern, Switzerland. tateyuki.iizuka@insel.ch
Eggensperger
Nicole
N
Wilke
Sebastian
S
Seto
Ichiro
I
Thüer
Urs
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002508:Cephalometry; D002680:Chin / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D008313:Malocclusion, Angle Class III / Q000601:surgery*; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures; D010027:Osteotomy; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012008:Recurrence; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric