Changes of transverse mandibular width after intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: In order to clarify the correlation of mandibular setback using bilateral intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy (BIVRO) and post-surgical transverse mandibular width (TMW), this study examined the pre- and postsurgical changes in hard and soft tissues of TMW and the relationship of TMW and the amount of mandibular setback. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One-hundred seven patients who had undergone BIVRO were evaluated radiographically and clinically. A comparison study of the changes in hard and soft tissue after surgery in all 107 patients was performed with preoperative, 1 month, 3 month, 6 month and 1 year postoperative posteroanterio cephalograms and clinical photographs by tracing. And this changes were evaluated in parts to amounts of mandibular setback. RESULTS: Statistically significant increases of TMW in hard and soft tissue from preoperative to postoperative 1 month were seen. TMW in hard tissue from 1 month to 1 year postopertive were gradually decreased. TMW in soft tissue was not changed uniformly but almost equal to pre-operative width. And there was no significant correlation between TMW and amount of mandibular setback. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that mandibular setback using BIVRO did not significantly influence increasing of TMW in soft tissue.