Preoperative Soft Tissue Thickness Influences the Alteration of Soft Tissue Movement in Orthognathic Surgery | Chapter 1 | Advancement and New Understanding in Medical Science Vol. 10

 Background: Reports on soft tissue movement after orthognathic surgery exhibit significant variability, with a lack of consensus on standardized measurements. This creates challenges in making accurate predictions about post-surgery tissue movement and determining the potential impact of preoperative soft tissue thickness on the extent of movement.

 

Aim: To investigate the relationship between preoperative soft tissue thickness and the degree of soft tissue movement in comparison to hard tissue movement following orthognathic surgery.

 

Materials and Methods: This study involves a retrospective analysis of lateral cephalometric X-rays obtained from patients who underwent orthognathic surgery at a single medical center between September 1, 2013, and September 1, 2018. Demographic and operative data were gathered. Preoperative cephalometric X-rays were used to measure soft tissue thickness, and postoperative X-rays (taken >6 months after surgery) were superimposed by aligning fixed bony points. Linear regression was employed to investigate the correlation between different variables and the extent of jaw movement.

 

Results: For upper jaw surgeries involving advancements up to 5 mm, there was an observed reduction in the relative movement of soft tissue, correlating with an increase in the initial thickness (r = -0.288). In mandibular advancements, there was a distinct decrease in the ratio of soft tissue movement with an increase in initial soft tissue thickness (r = -0.418). Conversely, there was no correlation in mandibular setback cases (r = 0.062). A similar correlation, demonstrating a decrease in relative soft tissue movement with an increase in initial soft tissue thickness, was identified in advancement genioplasty (r = -0.411).

Conclusion: The findings of this research reveal a consistent pattern of decreased relative movement of soft tissue in orthognathic surgery, which is associated with an increase in its initial thickness.

Author(s) Details:

Michael V. Joachim,
Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shamir (Assaf Ha-Rofeh) Medical Center, Tzrifin, Israel and Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel.

Yair Brosh,
Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Lady Davis Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.

Murad Abdelraziq,
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Baruch Padeh Tzafon Medical Center, Poriya, Israel.

Imad Abu El-Naaj,
Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Baruch Padeh Tzafon Medical Center, Poriya, Israel.

Amir Laviv,
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/ANUMS-V10/article/view/13920