Retrospective study on midfacial advancement in syndromic craniosynostosis: case series

The aim of this study was to evaluate elastic distraction surgical procedures performed on patients with syndromic craniosynostosis using cephalometric analyses.

Eleven patients who underwent surgical midfacial advancement were divided into three groups: G1 - monobloc frontofacial; G2 - Le Fort III; and G3 - high-level Le Fort I. The cephalometric analyses were manually created through cephalometric radiographs of each patient: T1 - preoperative; T2 - 6 months postoperatively; and T3 - 12 months postoperatively. The cephalometric landmark points were A and O. The distances between preoperative and postoperative tracings were measured.

Point A advanced with no significant relapse 12 months after surgery. Point O advanced with a significant relapse rate of 28.5% postoperatively (p = 0.019). The vertical movement of points A and O increased by 40.6% (p = 0.033) and 38.8% (p = 0.032), respectively. There were no significant statistical differences between the assessed surgical techniques and syndromes with regard to midfacial advancement.

Point O has presented statistically significant relapse only in horizontal movement after 12 months. The cephalometric analysis performed in the present study only suggested no differences between the studied surgical techniques and syndromes with regard to midfacial advancement in syndromic craniosynostosis.