Facial asymmetry with mandibular prognathism: A new trial of classification and interpretation

ABSTRACT

OBJECT Patients with facial asymmetry accompanying mandibular prognathism have various causes and clinical features. So, it is difficult to find a satisfactory treatment method functionally and esthetically. Every traditional classification and interpretation to find etiopathogenesis and/or to establish ideal surgical modality has many limitations because it can't be applied simply to various conditions of patients with facial asymmetry accompanying mandibular prognathism. Therefore, we employ a new classification to interpret more details of the morphologic change of mandible and the spatial change of mandible and maxilla. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using panoramic X-ray films, PA cephalograms and submentovertex films of 126 patients diagnosed with facial asymmetry accompanying mandibular prognathism as resources, the following results were gathered after analyzing each characteristics through distributing the patterns according to the morphological mandibular asymmetry and mandibular and maxillary spatial asymmetry. RESULTS: Almost frequency of morphological mandibular asymmetry was shown. In case of condyle-ramus elongation and body elongation group, it's frequency was the highest. Higher frequency of compensating vertical growth was shown on the side of over growing maxilla in case of vertical length difference between left and right condyle-ramus. On the other hand, higher frequency of no compensating vertical growth difference between left and right side was shown in case of no vertical length difference in condyleramus. Spatial mandibular asymmetry generally occurred when there was no morphological mandibular asymmetry. Correlation between condyle length difference and condyle-ramus length difference between left and right side was very high, but correlation between condyle length difference and body length difference, and correlation between condyle length difference and body vertical length difference was low. CONCLUSION: In case of patients with facial asymmetry accompanying mandibular prognathism, it is suggested that various pattern of facial asymmetry is occurred by the independent growth of each unit rather than dependent growth of other unit by major growth unit abnormality. Due to the untypical pattern and the various asymmetry occurring according to the changes of each mandibular growth unit, it is considered that an appropriate surgical method should be searched based on the accurate recognition of the each pattern for patients with facial asymmetry accompanying mandibular prognathism.