Krishnan's Comprehensive Classification for Distraction Osteogenesis of Maxilla and Mandible

Distraction osteogenesis technique has gained popularity and has been established as a successful procedure in the management of cranio-maxillofacial deformities for more than 2 decades. Varieties of distractor designs were evolved for the procedures in the maxilla and mandible. Various distraction parameters are clinically important as planned in each case. Inspite of distraction osteogenesis as a well-accepted procedure, currently there is no single classification available for the distraction procedure in maxilla and mandible taking into consideration all the relevant parameters. A simple and user-friendly classification was designed with coding all the relevant parameters. A retrospective data collection from distracted case records were used to validate the classification. A survey from maxillofacial surgeons in a regional meeting was also carried out. The validation and the survey showed that the new classification is comprehensive, simple, easy to use and beneficial for communication, data storage, research, coding, and billing purposes.