Passive repositioning of maxillary fractures: An occasional impossibility without osteotomy

Purpose: To present cases where passive repositioning of maxillary fractures was not achievable during surgery, and a method to provide passive occlusal positioning in those cases. Patients and Methods: Over a 10-year period, the maxillae of 24 patients with fractures of the maxilla could not be passively repositioned during surgery. In these cases, a Le Fort I osteotomy was performed in addition to reduction and fixation of the other midfacial fractures. Results: All patients had passive restoration of their pretrauma occlusion during surgery. All patients except I had maintenance of their pretrauma occlusion at the last follow-up visit (6 weeks or more) following surgery. Conclusion: When passive positioning of the maxilla is not possible, a concomitant Le Fort I osteotomy can provide passive positioning of the occlusion. (C) 2004 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons