JOURNAL OF OSAKA DENTAL UNIVERSITY

Vol. 41 No. 2      OCTOBER - 2007

ISSN: 0475-2058      UBIC: 172

SUMMARY

I investigated morphological changes in the facial soft tissues of patients with mandibular prognathism following orthognathic surgery by scanning their faces before and after surgery using a non-contact type three-dimensional scanner. Coordinate data obtained before and after surgery were overlapped by the least square method using a computer, and the differences in swelling at various areas were color-coded. The results showed differences in swelling mainly around the gonial angle. The differences peaked two days after surgery and were the lowest eleven days after surgery. Although the mandible was surgically retracted, soft tissue changes in the mental region were mild immediately after surgery, suggesting that mandibular retraction was cancelled out by soft tissue swelling. As the swelling started to subside 8 days after surgery, the soft tissue retraction became obvious. With the present method, it was possible to visually ascertain the soft tissue changes caused by marked swelling immediately after surgery and the positional changes caused by mandibular retraction. However, it is necessary to differentiate changes caused by swelling from reduction in soft tissue that result from body weight loss during intermaxillary fixation, and the changes in soft tissue thickening that result from increases in body weight after removal of the fixation apparatus. (J Osaka Dent Univ 2007; 41: 101-106) Key words: Three-dimensional laser scanning; Orthognathic surgery; Postoperative swelling.

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