Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis in Children and Adolescents: A Clinical and Radiographic Research Using Cone-Beam...

Area of Science:

• Craniofacial surgery
• Pediatric orthognathics
• Regenerative medicine

Background:

• Mandibular deformities in children require early intervention.
• Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is a surgical technique to lengthen the mandible.
• Long-term outcomes of MDO in pediatric patients need comprehensive evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term postoperative outcomes of mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) in pediatric patients.
• To evaluate the stability and esthetics of MDO results using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
• To compare outcomes between hemifacial microsomia (HFM) and mandibular micrognathia cases.

Main Methods:

• A 16-year retrospective cross-sectional study of pediatric patients treated with MDO.
• Clinical and radiographic parameters were recorded.
• Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was utilized for detailed assessment of bone regeneration and morphology.

Main Results:

• MDO was successful in all 11 pediatric patients (5 HFM, 6 micrognathia).
• Long-term results were stable and accepted in HFM cases.
• Relapse occurred in 4 of 6 micrognathia cases; regenerated bone shape varied between conditions, but quality was normal.
• CBCT provided detailed insights into distraction site changes.

Conclusions:

• MDO is a viable early treatment for pediatric mandibular deformities.
• Long-term MDO outcomes show growth-related relapse, particularly in micrognathia.
• CBCT is crucial for detailed evaluation of MDO treatment sites.