Maxillary Changes Following Facial Bipartition – A Three-Dimensional Quantification

Introduction: Children with Apert syndrome have hypertelorism and midfacial hypoplasia, which can be treated facial bipartition (FB), often aided by rigid external distraction. The technique involves a midline osteotomy that lateralizes the maxillary segments, resulting in posterior cross-bites diastema. Varying degrees of spontaneous realignment dental arches occurs postoperatively. This study aims to quantify these movements assess whether they occur as part wider skeletal relapse or compensation. Methods: Patients who underwent FB had high quality computed tomography scans at preoperative stage, immediately postsurgery, later postoperatively were reviewed. DICOM files converted three-dimensional bone meshes anatomical point-to-point displacements quantified using nonrigid iterative closest point registration. Displacements visualized arrow maps, thereby providing an overview skeleton dentition. Results: Five patients included. In all cases, maps demonstrated initial significant anterior movement frontofacial segment coupled medial rotation orbits transverse divergence arches. bony position following surgery was shown largely stable, primary dentoalveolar correcting alignment. Conclusions: showed compensation without compromising surgical result. It may appropriate delay active orthodontic for 6-months until completion this early compensatory phase.