Three-dimensional analysis of condylar remodeling and skeletal relapse following LeFort-I osteotomy: A one-year follow-up bicenter study
Rik van Luijn, Frank Baan, Eman Shaheen, Stefaan Bergé, Constantinus Politis, Thomas Maal, Tong Xi
Abstract
The aim of the study was to quantify the postoperative condylar remodeling after Le Fort I surgery. Patients treated with a Le Fort I osteotomy were investigated. CBCT scans were acquired preoperatively, one week and one year postoperatively. A preoperative 3D cephalometric analysis was performed on the preoperative CBCT. Surgical movements were quantified using a voxel-registration based method (OrthoGnaticAnalyser). After rendering of the condyles from the CBCT, a volumetric analysis was performed. The correlation between the surgical movement of the maxilla and the postoperative condylar volume changes was determined with analysis of variance. A total of 45 subjects were included in this study. 47 of 90 condyles (52%) showed a mean volume reduction of 93 mm3 (4.9 volume-%) postoperatively. The maxilla was impacted in 12 patients (2.44 ± 2.49 mm) and extruded in 33 patients (1.78 ± 1.29 mm). The maxillary impaction group showed a volume reduction of 50 ± 122 mm3 and the extrusion group showed a mean volume gain of 21 ± 139 mm3 (p = 0.028). Clinicians should be aware of potential condylar remodeling following solitary Le Fort I osteotomies, particularly in female patients with maxillary impaction.