Three-dimensional analysis of condylar remodeling and skeletal relapse following LeFort-I osteotomy: a one-year follow-up bicenter study

Abstract The aim of the study was to quantify the postoperative condylar remodeling after Le Fort I surgery. Patients treated with a Le Fort I osteotomy were investigated. CBCT scans were acquired preoperatively, one week and one year postoperatively. A preoperative 3D cephalometric analysis was performed on the preoperative CBCT. Surgical movements were quantified using a voxel-registration based method (OrthoGnaticAnalyser). After rendering of the condyles from the CBCT, a volumetric analysis was performed. The correlation between the surgical movement of the maxilla and the postoperative condylar volume changes was determined with analysis of variance. Results A total of 45 subjects were included in this study. 47 of 90 condyles (52%) showed a mean volume reduction of 93 mm3 (4.9 volume-%) postoperatively. The maxilla was impacted in 12 patients (2.44 ± 2.49 mm) and extruded in 33 patients (1.78 ± 1.29 mm). The maxillary impaction group showed a volume reduction of 50 ± 122 mm3 and the extrusion group showed a mean volume gain of 21 ± 139 mm3 (p = 0.028). Conclusion Clinicians should be aware of potential condylar remodeling following solitary Le Fort I osteotomies, particularly in female patients with maxillary impaction.