A comparison of stimulated bite force after mandibular advancement using rigid and nonrigid fixation

This study evaluated maximum stimulated molar bite force following advancement of the mandible in 17 adult Macaca mulatta using rigid and nonrigid fixation techniques. Cephalometric analysis was also performed to determine the amount of proximal segment rotation. Analysis of the bite force showed the animals whose mandibles were advanced using rigid fixation to have significantly greater bite force at six weeks postsurgery when compared to those animals who underwent mandibular advancement and six weeks of maxillomandibular fixation. By the ninth postoperative week, there was no longer any significant difference between the two groups, indicating a rapid recovery of muscle function in the animals whose mandibles were immobilized following advancement. Both groups, however, had significant decreases in bite force at 12 weeks postsurgery when compared to preoperative values. Neither group had a significant amount of proximal segment rotation from the surgery.