title: Surgically assisted rapid maxillary expasion: a preliminar study.
abstract: Surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion is efficient for the treatment of transverse maxillary deficiencies in skeletally mature patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study two techniques for surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion: with or without pterygoid plate detachment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal cohort study sample including ten patients aged 18-40 years, with a skeletal transverse discrepancy in the maxilla of more than 4 mm. Two groups were established on a randomized basis, five patients in each group, according to the detachment or absence of detachment of the pterygoid plate. Furthermore, osteotomies of the bilateral zygomatic buttress and the intermaxillary suture were done in both groups. The transverse discrepancy was measured in study models, a posterior-anterior cephalometric radiograph evaluated the superior and inferior zygomatic plane and the inter-tuber distance and an occlusal radiograph evaluated the intermaxillary disjunction in the pre-operative period and 30 days post-operatively. A 7-day period of rest was given after corticotomy before starting expansion with quarter turns once a day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no statistically significant differences between pre- and post-operative measurements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are few randomized control trials in literature comparing the two techniques for surgically maxillary expansion. Further studies with a larger sample are required.
authors.affiliation: UPE Graduate Program, Bucomaxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology Department, Pernambuco Dental School, Pernambuco University, PE, Brazil. belmiroc@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Belmiro Cavalcanti
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: do Egito Vasconcelos
authors.forename: Antonio Figueiredo
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Caubi
authors.forename: Emanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Carlos Augusto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lago
authors.forename: Gabriela Granja
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Porto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002508:Cephalometry; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000601:surgery*; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods*; D010155:Palatal Expansion Technique; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016896:Treatment Outcome