The skeletal stability after maxillo-mandibular osteotomy with a “physiological positioning strategy”

The aim of this study was to estimate skeletal and dental stability after maxillomandibular osteotomy with physiological positioning. Ten patients (7 men and 3 women) with skeletal mandibular prognathism were treated by conventional Le Fort I osteotomy for the maxilla and unfixed short lingual osteotomy for the mandible together with physiological positioning. We used cephalometric analysis to evaluate the skeletal and dental stability preoperatively, immediately after maxillomandibular osteotomy, and more than 1 year later. The immediately postoperative measurements for the SNA and the SN-palatal planes were 0.15^o (p = 0.67) and 1.0 ^o (p = 0.17), respectively. The positions of the anterior nasal spine, posterior nasal spine, and A point showed minimal changes 1 year postoperatively. The postoperative difference for SNB was 0.76 ^o (p = 0.04). Dental stability was apparent postoperatively. We conclude that reliable stability of both the maxilla and the mandible was achieved after maxillomandibular osteotomy with physiological positioning in patients with mandibular prognathism.