THE STABILITY OF FACIAL OSTEOTOMIES .1. THE EVOLUTION OF MAXILLARY, MANDIBULAR AND CHIN OSTEOTOMIES

Surgical repositioning of the dento-skeletal components of the face, c ombined with appropriate orthodontic treatment, can be used to improve function and aesthetics. An extensive number of osteotomies are perfo rmed within the maxillofacial region. The most common of these are the Le Fort I osteotomy of the maxilla, the bilateral sagittal split oste otomy of the mandibular ramus, and the horizontal osteotomy of the ant erior mandible. The attainment of three dimensional stability followin g corrective jaw surgery continues to be a major problem in the post-s urgical period, in spite of the widespread adoption of rigid internal osteosynthesis. The evolution of these osteotomies to advance dento-sk eletal components is traced from their inception to the present day an d the concept of stability is explained (Part I). This serves as a pre lude to an investigation into the stability of these procedures, under taken in isolation or combination, to advance selected segments of the mid- and lower face (Parts 2, 3, 4, 5).