Three-dimensional assessment of condylar position following orthognathic surgery using the centric relation bite and the ramal reference line: A retrospective clinical study

Orthognathic surgery (OGS) is a relatively common procedure for solving functional and aesthetic problems in facial and jaw areas in patients with dentofacial deformities. The positioning of the mandibular condylar segment during OGS has an impact on the surgical outcome. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the condyle-fossa relationship three dimensionally after OGS using the centric relation (CR) bite and the ramal reference line (RRL). Thirty-two patients with skeletal malocclusion underwent OGS. Condylar repositioning was performed using the CR bite, as previously reported. A RRL was added to the existing method and used during the surgery. Cone-beam computed tomography scans were acquired at 4 time points. Sixty-four condyles were evaluated in the coronal, sagittal, and axial views. Two groups were created according to the amount of mandible setback (SB1 vs SB2), and another 2 groups were created according to the maxillary operation (1-jaw vs 2-jaw). Each was then compared at the 4 time points. Differences between the values before (T0) and a year after surgery (T3) were also investigated. The positions of the pogonion and the menton were examined at T2 and T3 for the simple evaluation of relapse. The change in the condylar position was significant over a time-course (P < .001) but not between T0 and T3 (P > .05). Neither the setback amount nor the maxillary operation affected the positional change (P > .05). There were no significant changes between T2 and T3 in the relapse evaluation. This condylar repositioning method using the CR bite and a RRL showed stable results after OGS. This method is noninvasive and cost-effective and can be easily performed even by an inexperienced surgeon because it reduces errors in repositioning the condyle during OGS.