Study of condylar positional changes after sagittal split osteotomy for mandibular advancement: A prospective cohort study

Purpose To analyse the possible morphologic and positional changes of the mandibular condyles after orthognathic surgery. Material and Methods A prospective cohort study was performed. Patients with mandibular retrognathism were surgically treated to advance the mandible. The study group included seventeen patients (34 condyles) treated with sagittal split osteotomies alone (4 patients) or in combination with maxillary osteotomies (13 patients). Only condyles located on the mandibular side that advance during surgery were studied, therefore only 25 condyles entered this prospective study. Beside it, a group of 6 patients undergoing maxillary surgery as only procedure, maxillary group, was also studied to determinate the influence of maxillary surgery on condylar displacement. Computed tomographies and lateral cephalometric radiographs were performed two weeks before surgery and one year after the surgical procedures. Different variables which analyse the position and morphology of the mandible were studied. The data obtained were analysed statistically by computing R2 values. Results In the maxillary group they were small displacements in magnitude and not significant. In the study group, 8 condyles showed morphological changes with alteration on reference points. In the remainder 17 condyles different displacements were noted after surgery. Several of these positional changes were predictable and did not affect postoperative mandibular stability. Conclusions condylar displacements that occur after sagittal split osteotomies for mandibular advancement show significant correlation with the degree of mandibular advancement and can be defined by mathematical formulae. Maxillary osteotomies do not seem to influence condylar position when bimaxillary procedures take place.