Bone-plates for stabilizing Le Fort I osteotomies

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Orthognathic Surgery
• Biomaterials in Surgery

Background:

• Maxillary advancement surgery is a common procedure in orthognathic surgery.
• Minimally invasive techniques aim to reduce morbidity and improve outcomes.
• Stabilization methods for repositioned bone segments are crucial for surgical success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and stability of mini-plate fixation following inferior repositioning of the maxilla.
• To assess the rate and pattern of relapse after this surgical technique.
• To compare the mini-plate technique with previous methods for maxillary stabilization.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cephalometric analysis of 16 adult patients undergoing inferior maxillary repositioning.
• Stabilization achieved using miniaturized plates without interpositional bone grafts.
• Osteotomy sites covered with cancellous iliac bone strips.

Main Results:

• Uncomplicated healing observed in all patients.
• Mean anterior vertical relapse of approximately 20% occurred during the early postoperative period.
• No correlation found between the extent of vertical repositioning and the degree of relapse.

Conclusions:

• Mini-plate fixation offers an advantageous alternative for stabilizing the repositioned maxilla.
• Early postoperative relapse is a potential concern that requires monitoring.
• Further research may explore factors influencing relapse in maxillary repositioning surgeries.