Comparison of maxillary stability after Le Fort I osteotomy for occlusal cant correction surgery and maxillary advanced surgery.

OBJECTIVE To compare postoperative maxillary stability following Le Fort I osteotomy for the correction of occlusal cant as compared with conventional Le Fort I osteotomy for maxillary advancement. STUDY DESIGN The subjects were 40 Japanese adults with jaw deformities. Of these, 20 underwent a Le Fort I osteotomy and intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy (IVRO) to correct asymmetric skeletal morphology and inclined occlusal cant. The other 20 patients underwent a Le Fort I osteotomy and sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO) to advance the maxilla. Lateral and posteroanterior cephalograms were taken postoperatively and assessed statistically. Thereafter, the 2 groups were followed for time-course changes. RESULTS There was no significant difference between the 2 groups with regard to time-course changes during the immediate postoperative period. CONCLUSION This suggests that maxillary stability after Le Fort I osteotomy for cant correction does not differ from that after Le Fort I osteotomy for maxillary advancement.