Facial skeletal growth after timed soft-tissue undermining

Area of Science:

• Craniofacial surgery
• Orthodontics
• Animal research

Background:

• Nasomaxillary complex growth is critical for facial development.
• Soft-tissue manipulation can impact skeletal growth.
• Understanding the effects of surgical intervention on immature craniofacial structures is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of bilateral nasomaxillary soft-tissue undermining on craniofacial growth in immature animals.
• To determine if the timing of this surgical procedure influences growth inhibition.
• To assess the effects of undermining without a cleft lip.

Main Methods:

• Fifty New Zealand White rabbits were divided into five groups: control and four experimental groups with undermining at different ages (3-4 days, 7-10 days, 18-21 days, 50-56 days).
• Bilateral buccal sulcus incisions and extensive nasomaxillary supraperiosteal undermining were performed.
• Animals were sacrificed at 6 months, and osteometric measurements were taken.

Main Results:

• Bilateral nasomaxillary soft-tissue undermining resulted in a significantly retruded maxilla.
• The procedure led to a constricted and vertically shortened maxilla.
• These growth inhibitions occurred regardless of the timing of the undermining procedure.

Conclusions:

• Aggressive bilateral nasomaxillary soft-tissue undermining in immature animals significantly inhibits maxillary growth.
• The timing of the undermining procedure does not alter the detrimental effect on maxillary growth.
• This surgical approach alone, without a cleft lip, can cause significant craniofacial deformities.