Condylar repositioning using centric relation bite in bimaxillary surgery

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate displacement of the mandibular condyle after orthognathic surgery using a condylar-repositioning device. METHODS: The patient group comprised 20 adults who underwent bimaxillary surgery between August 2008 and July 2011. The degree of condylar displacement was measured by pre- and postoperative tomographic analysis using centric relation bite and a wire during surgery. A survey assessing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sound, pain, and locking was performed. The 20 tomographs and surveys were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and McNemar's test, respectively. RESULTS: No significant changes were observed in the anterior, superior, or posterior joint space of the TMJ (p > 0.05). In addition, no significant change was observed in TMJ sound (p > 0.05). However, TMJ pain and locking both decreased significantly after surgery (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Due to its simplicity, this method may be feasible and useful for repositioning condyles.