Appearance on face reading (cheek line) after orthognathic surgery

Area of Science:

• Orthognathic Surgery
• Facial Aesthetics
• Cephalometric Analysis

Background:

• The cheek line is a crucial aesthetic component of the facial profile.
• Understanding its changes after orthognathic surgery is vital for treatment planning.
• Mandibular setback surgery is commonly performed for conditions like mandibular prognathism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and quantify changes in the cheek line following mandibular setback surgery.
• To evaluate the impact of isolated intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy on facial profile aesthetics.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 40 patients (20 female, 20 male) with mandibular prognathism underwent intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy.
• Preoperative (T1) and postoperative (T2) cephalograms were analyzed, with final changes assessed over at least one year (T2-T1).
• Paired t-tests were used to compare soft and hard tissue landmarks, including the cheek line, pogonion (Pog), nasolabial angle, and cervicomental angle.

Main Results:

• The mean horizontal setback of pogonion (Pog) was 12.3 mm (women) and 11.7 mm (men).
• Significant increases were observed in the nasolabial angle (11.1° in women, 11.1° in men) and cervicomental angle (11.4° in women).
• The cheek line demonstrated a significant forward advancement (T2-T1), rejecting the initial hypothesis.

Conclusions:

• Isolated mandibular setback surgery leads to a significant forward advancement of the cheek line.
• The aesthetic impact on the facial profile, particularly the cheek line, should be considered in surgical planning.
• The study refutes the hypothesis that the cheek line remains unchanged after mandibular setback.