ABSTRACT
To determine the effectiveness of distraction osteogenesis [DO] for correcting maxillofacial deformities. Case series. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Rawalpindi, from June 2008 to November 2010. Patients with diverse maxillofacial deformities were selected for the study. In all cases, intraoral distractors were used. Mandibular osteotomies were done using submandibular incision and maxillary osteotomy was done using standard vestibular incision. In paediatric patients, DO was started on third postoperative day while in adults, a 7-day latency period was followed. Distraction was carried out at a rate of 0.5 mm twice daily [1 mm/day]. Distractors were removed after a consolidation period of 2 months. A total 7 cases were operated for DO. Out of these, 3 were males and 4 females. The age ranged from 2-24 years [mean 12.57 +/- 9.48 years]. Five patients had their deformity owing to temporo mandibular joint [TMJ] ankylosis, one had congenital micrognathia and one patient had skeletal class-III deformity. Five patients underwent mandibular DO, one underwent maxillary DO and in one case simultaneous maxillo-mandibular DO was carried out. Amount of distraction varied from 9.0 mm to 19.2 mm [mean 15.04 +/- 4.33 mm]. Mean follow-up was 18.14 +/- 5.39 months. Distraction osteogenesis can be employed satisfactorily to correct diverse maxillofacial deformities like retrognathia, facial asymmetry and skeletal class-III