[Combined surgical-orthodontic palatine suture expansion in adulthood]

A method of surgical support of a rapid maxillary expansion is described. Specific osteotomies are performed on the attached region of the maxillary zygomatic process and the dorsal and middle part of the hard palate. The results of 14 patients are demonstrated. Almost all patients underwent surgical correction of sagittal and/or vertical jaw relations after a subsequent harmonization. This surgical orthodontic expansion proved to be an efficient and low pain method of preoperative correction of transverse maxillary deficiencies and facilitated the following skeletal surgery.