Callus distraction of the midface in the severely atrophied maxilla - A case report

Objective: This report introduces the possibilities of callus distraction i n the extremely atrophied, edentulous midface in a cleft lip and palate pat ient. Intervention: After a subtotal Le Fort II osteotomy, tension wires were fix ed to the zygomatic buttresses and frontal sinus walls by way of titanium m iniplates and mesh and connected to a rigid external distracter. Then distr action of the whole midface (1 mm/d) was performed. Results: Even in severe atrophy a distraction of the maxilla of 20 mm was p ossible. Stability has been shown for more than 5 months, Conclusions: Rigid external midfacial distraction may be used in difficult cases for the correction of sagittal discrepancies where conventional ortho gnatic surgery is likely to be insufficient. Further investigations will co ncentrate on the long-term outcome.