Effects of different surgical procedures on the pharyngeal space with mandibular prognathism

Mandibular prognathism is among the most common types of jaw deformity and the degree of deformity and the severity level varies greatly from case to case. Surgical procedures to correct mandibular prognathism are generally determined based on the degree of mandibular protrusion and maxillary retrusion. Treatment options include the one jaw approach by mandibular sagittal split ramus osteotomy alone or the two jaw approach by a combination of mandibular setback and maxillary advancement with Le Fort I osteotomy. Preand postoperative changes in facial esthetics and occlusion, and postoperative skeletal stability have been investigated extensively. 2 Influences of these procedures on the upper respiratory tract have also been widely studied. However, few reports have addressed long-term changes in the pharyngeal airway space of patients treated by these procedures. The purpose of this study was to investigate how different surgical procedures affect pharyngeal airway changes through a comparative analysis of skeletal mandibular prognathism patients who were treated by the one jaw and two jaw approaches. Preand postoperative measurements of the dentofacial skeleton, pharyngeal airway space and areas that affect pharyngeal airway space were used as the parameters for measurements and comparison. Effects of different surgical procedures on the pharyngeal space with mandibular prognathism