title: Evaluation of long-term effects in patients treated with Fränkel-2 appliance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the dentoskeletal effects produced by Fränkel-2 (FR-2) appliance during the treatment of  patients with Class II malocclusion by mandibular retrusion and to verify the long-term stability of these changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre-treatment, post-treatment and long-term serial cephalograms (at least 10 years after the end  of treatment) of patients treated with FR-2 were compared with data obtained from untreated controls. To be included in the  study, patients and controls had to exhibit Class II malocclusion caused by short mandibular body. Lateral cephalograms  were analysed with a specific tracing regimen in both groups. Summary measures for the initial cephalometric values and  increments of changes between visits were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to controls, the  FR-2 treatment produced a  significant decrease in the ANB angle that improved the skeletal intermaxillary and occlusal relationship. At long-term follow- up, the FR-2 group showed further improvements of skeletal intermaxillary and occlusal relationship, therefore the changes  observed during treatment showed no compensatory decline or rebound.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FR-2 treatment, in conjunction  with a period of post-functional fixed appliance therapy designed to perfect the occlusion, can produce a long-lasting  improvement of the skeletal Class II malocclusions with little skeletal correction and significant incisor  compensation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Maxillo-Facial Surgery and Orthodontics, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. letizia.perillo@unina2.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perillo
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Castaldo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cannavale
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Longobardi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grassia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rullo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chiodini
mesh_terms: D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008312:Malocclusion, Angle Class II / Q000628:therapy*; D017289:Orthodontic Appliances, Functional; D009972:Orthodontics, Interceptive / Q000295:instrumentation*; D055502:Secondary Prevention