Short-term and long-term soft tissue profile changes after mandibular advancements using rigid fixation techniques

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Plastic Surgery
• Facial Aesthetics

Background:

• Surgical advancement of the mandible is a common procedure to correct skeletal discrepancies.
• Understanding soft tissue response is crucial for predicting aesthetic outcomes.
• Limited data exists on the long-term soft tissue profile changes following mandibular advancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify short- and long-term soft tissue profile changes after surgical mandibular advancement.
• To establish a predictive database for facial changes post-surgery.
• To analyze the correlation between hard and soft tissue movements.

Main Methods:

• Serial cephalometric tracings were used to identify hard and soft tissue landmarks.
• Data was collected from 31 patients undergoing surgical mandibular advancement.
• Measurements were analyzed at short-term (average 2.7 months) and long-term (average 14.0 months) post-surgery.

Main Results:

• Long-term horizontal soft tissue changes overlying skeletal structures mirrored hard tissue changes in a 1:1 ratio.
• Horizontal changes between the mandibular incisor and lower lip showed a different ratio (0.43:1.00).
• Short-term soft tissue changes demonstrated stability compared to long-term outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Soft tissue profile changes following mandibular advancement are predictable, especially in the long term.
• The ratio of soft tissue to hard tissue movement varies depending on the specific facial region.
• This study provides valuable data for surgeons to predict facial aesthetic outcomes.