Simultaneous maxillary and mandibular distraction osteogenesis with a semiburied device

Distraction osteogenesis is a technique utilizing natural healing mechanism s to generate new bone; it is commonly used to lengthen the hypoplastic man dible. Distraction of the maxilla and mandible as a unit is an obvious exte nsion of the technique. We describe the application of a semiburied distrac ter to simultaneously lengthen the mandible and maxilla and level a canted occlusal plane in three cases. The indications for bimaxillary distraction are reviewed, including its advantages, disadvantages and limitations.