Does LeFort I Surgery Have Any Influence on External Root Resorption?

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Orthodontics
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Background:

• Segmental LeFort I osteotomy is a surgical procedure used in orthodontics to correct maxillary deformities.
• Root resorption is a potential complication of orthodontic treatment and orthognathic surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the incidence and severity of root resorption in maxillary teeth adjacent to osteotomy sites following segmental LeFort I osteotomy.
• To compare root resorption between patients undergoing segmental LeFort I osteotomy with orthodontic treatment and those undergoing orthodontic treatment alone.

Main Methods:

• Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of 18 surgical patients and 16 control subjects were analyzed at three time points (pre-surgery/treatment, post-surgery/treatment, and long-term follow-up).
• Root volume, surface area, and length of maxillary central incisors, canines, and first molars were measured and analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA.
• Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.

Main Results:

• The surgical group exhibited a statistically significant increase in root resorption (length, volume, and surface area) over time.
• No significant differences in root resorption were observed between the surgical and control groups, except for a few variables.

Conclusions:

• Segmental LeFort I osteotomy combined with orthodontic treatment induces root resorption.
• The observed root resorption differences between combined treatment and orthodontic treatment alone are not statistically significant or clinically significant.