MAXILLOMANDIBULAR ADVANCEMENT SURGERY IN OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP-APNEA SYNDROME PATIENTS - LONG-TERM SURGICAL STABILITY

Purpose: This study examined the long-term skeletal stability of relat ively large maxillomandibular advancement surgery in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Materials and Methods: The pr esurgical, immediate(< 1 month), and long-term (> 12 months) postsurgi cal cephalometric radiographs of 19 patients undergoing maxillomandibu lar advancement with simultaneous genioplasty for OSAS were studied. T he cephalometric measurements and calculations were performed using a commercial cephalometric software. Results: Maxillary and mandibular a dvancement seems to be stable in the horizontal and vertical planes ov er the long term, There was no significant correlation between the amo unt of surgical advancement and the amount of postsurgical instability , with the exception of gonion in the vertical plane. Conclusion: The results from this study indicate that large surgical advancements in O SAS patients result in relatively stable repositioning of the maxilla and mandible over the long term.