SCREW OSTEOSYNTHESIS COMPARED WITH WIRE OSTEOSYNTHESIS IN ADVANCEMENTGENIOPLASTY - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF SKELETAL STABILITY

Objective-To compare the skeletal stability of wire and screw fixation after advancement genioplasty. Design-Retrospective study. Setting-Te aching hospital and private practice, South Africa. Subjects-40 Patien ts who required advancement genioplasty, 20 in each group. Interventio ns-Advancement genioplasty measurements made on cephalometric radiogra phs before and immediately after operation, and at least 6 months late r. Main outcome measures-Comparison of horizontal and vertical measure ments. Results-In the screw (rigid) group mean horizontal advancement nas 6.3 mm followed ba a relapse of 0.3 mm during the follow up period , The corresponding figures for the wire (non-rigid) group were 5.8 an d 0.5 mm, The two differed significantly in the degree of vertical cha nge but the result is clinically unimportant, There was no difference in the degree of horizontal change, Conclusion-There was no difference in skeletal stability between the two groups.