Long-term skeletal stability after mandibular advancement with distraction osteogenesis in adult patients

This retrospective longitudinal cephalometric study assessed the long-term skeletal stability of the new mandibular position after mandibular distraction osteogenesis (DO). Although there have been some reports of long-term stability after mandibular DO, these reports concern growing patients. Therefore, it is difficult to determine skeletal stability after mandibular DO, when the results are unacceptable. This study selected 30 consecutive patients who were adult patients with mandibular hypoplasia with Class II relationships and more than three years of follow-up. There were four male and 26 female patients with a mean age of 21.6 years (15 to 32 years). We measured the lateral cephalograms before and after mandibular DO; mandibular point B in the FH reference plane was used to assess the changes in mandibular position. The mean horizontal advance at point B with DO was 8.3 mm. In terms of the long-term skeletal stability, mandibular DO was very predictable and stable in cases with adequate pre- and post-surgical orthodontics, and good patient co-operation for rehabilitation. The skeletal relapse at point B in the FH reference plane was 13.6% (1.1 mm) after long-term follow-up.