Pre-Surgical Factors Influencing Post-Surgical Outcomes in Orthognathic Surgery Patients: A Longitudinal Study

Background/Objectives: This study aims to assess the relationship between physical and psychosocial pre-surgical factors and post-surgical evolution in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery. Methods: A cohort study with 3 months of follow-up after maxillofacial surgery was conducted. Participants were recruited from the Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of Hospital Universitario La Paz in Madrid, Spain. Primary variables included the range of motion of mouth opening, protrusion tongue force, anxiety, depression and kinesiophobia. Assessments were realised on-site or via video call. Statistical analysis was conducted using mixed-effects models. Results: The initial recruitment yielded 22 patients, with 19 ultimately eligible for analysis. The study found significant impacts of pre-surgical factors on post-surgical evolution. Both ranges of motion and anxiety showed influences from baseline measures, with the range of motion affected by a pre-surgical range of motion (estimate: 3.89) and positive expectations (estimate: 4.83). Anxiety was influenced by both pre-surgical (estimate: 0.48) and baseline anxiety levels (estimate: 0.64). Kinesiophobia demonstrated a trend toward significance, with baseline levels affecting post-surgical evolution (estimate: 0.77). Conclusions: Our results highlight the relationship between pre-surgical factors and post-surgical outcomes in orthognathic surgery patients. Pre-surgical range of motion and positive expectations were found to influence post-surgical range of motion, while pre-surgical anxiety levels impacted post-surgical anxiety evolution. Pre-surgical kinesiophobia also showed potential as a post-surgical kinesiophobia predictor, but further investigation is needed to confirm this relationship.