Sagittal split technique I. Immediate postoperative conditions. A radiographic follow-up study

The postoperative appearance of 28 patients was studied following sagittal split osteotomy. A radiological evaluation of the direction and location of the split, secondary unwanted fractures and the area of overlap and contact relationship between the fragments was carried out. In 70% of the cases examined the line of cleavage broke through on the medial surface of the ramus. Unwanted fractures occurred in five of the 56 operated rami, however, these did not influence the postoperative healing to a great extent. The area of overlap between the fragments varied from 3-10 cm2. In some cases diastases of up to 8 mm were noted. The true area of contact as such was significantly less than the area of overlap.