Correlation between skeletal and dental changes after mandibular setback surgery-first orthodontic treatment: Cone-beam computed tomography-generated half-cephalograms

Objective: To investigate skeletal and dental changes after application of a mandibular setback surgery-first orthodontic treatment approach in cases of skeletal Class III malocclusion.

Methods: A retrospective study of 34 patients (23 men, 11 women; mean age, 26.2 ± 6.6 years) with skeletal Class III deformities, who underwent surgery-first orthodontic treatment, was conducted. Skeletal landmarks in the maxilla and mandible at three time points, pre-treatment (T0), immediate-postoperative (T1), and post-treatment (T2), were analyzed using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-generated half-cephalograms.

Results: The significant T0 to T1 mandibular changes occurred -9.24 ± 3.97 mm horizontally. From T1 to T2, the mandible tended to move forward 1.22 ± 2.02 mm, while the condylar position (Cd to Po-perpendicular plane) shifted backward, and the coronoid process (Cp to FH plane) moved vertically. Between T1 and T2, the vertical dimension changed significantly (p < 0.05). Changes in the vertical dimension were significantly correlated to T1 to T2 changes in the Cd to Po-perpendicular plane (r = -0.671, p = 0.034), and in the Cp to FH plane (r = 0.733, p = 0.016), as well as to T0 to T1 changes in the Cp to Po-perpendicular plane (r = 0.758, p = 0.011).

Conclusions: Greater alterations in the vertical dimension caused larger post-treatment (T2) stage skeletal changes. Studying the mandibular position in relation to the post-surgical vertical dimension emphasized the integral importance of vertical dimension control and proximal segment management to the success of surgery-first orthodontic treatment.