Five-year outcome and predictability of soft tissue profiles when wire or rigid fixation is used in mandibular...

The purpose of this study was to follow the covariation of hard and soft tissue changes in Class II malocclusion subjects who received a bilateral sagittal split osteotomy. The subjects were randomized to receive wire or rigid fixation after the surgery. Subjects in the rigid group (n = 78) received 2-mm bicortical position screws, and those in the wire group (n = 49) received inferior border wires and 6 weeks of skeletal intermaxillary fixation with 24-gauge wires. Additionally, some subjects received genioplasty in both the rigid (n = 35) and the wire groups (n = 24). Soft and hard tissue profile changes were obtained from cephalometric films immediately before surgery and at various times up to 5 years postsurgery. Soft and hard tissue profile changes were referenced to a cranial-base X-Y coordinate system. Horizontal changes in mandibular incisor, lower lip, B-point, soft tissue B-point, pogonion, and soft tissue pogonion were calculated at each time. There was considerable skeletal relapse in the wire fixation group. Bivariate correlations and ratios between the hard and soft tissue changes were calculated for each time period. Hard to soft tissue correlations were the highest at the earlier times, although the ratios varied among the 4 groups. These results provide a solid basis for both short-term and long-term prediction.