Le Fort I maxillary osteotomy: is it possible to accurately produce planned pre-operative movements?

The planned preoperative maxillary movements for five groups of patients requiring orthognathic surgery were prospectively compared to the actual surgical movements achieved in the operating theatre. There was a very poor success rate in achieving predicted movements in all the patient groups. There is a need to test and implement a reliable method of assisting the surgeon in spatially orientating the jaws on the operating table.