Does the Sequence of Bimaxillary Orthognathic Surgery Affect Accuracy in Skeletal Class III Patients?

BackgroundIt is necessary to determine whether the sequence of maxillary and mandibular surgeries in bimaxillary orthognathic surgery affects the accuracy of surgical outcomes.PurposeThe study aimed to measure and compare the accuracy among patients who underwent maxilla-first versus mandible-first bimaxillary surgery to correct a class III skeletal pattern.Study Design, Setting, SampleThis retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients treated by a single surgeon at one center using Le Fort I and bilateral sagittal split osteotomy surgery. Exclusions included patients scheduled for one-jaw or maxilla-segmental surgery and those with craniofacial syndromes, such as clefts.Predictor VariableThe predictor variable was operative sequence for bimaxillary operations, divided into maxilla- or mandible-first groups.Outcome VariableThe outcome variable was accuracy, measured using linear discrepancies between landmarks in the virtual plan and actual operative outcomes. The measurement of linear discrepancy that was closer to 0 was considered the more accurate result.CovariatesSex, age, maxilla sagittal rotation degree, amount of posterior maxilla impaction, mandibular autorotation (°), and intermediate splint thickness (mm) were the covariates.AnalysesStatistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test and Pearson's correlation, with statistical significance set at P < .05.ResultsThe sample comprised 60 patients with a mean age of 22.8 ± 3.7 years, of whom 36 (60%) were male. In the maxilla-first group, there were 30 subjects (60% male; mean age: 23.1 ± 4.2 years), with a mean mandibular autorotation of 0.41° (range: 0°–2.5°). The mandible-first group comprised 30 patients (60% male; mean age: 22.6 ± 3.3 years), with a mean mandibular autorotation of 5.46° (range: 1.9°–9.2°). The linear discrepancies for all landmarks did not significantly differ between mandible- and maxilla-first groups (P > .18). The mean three-dimensional discrepancies for all landmarks in maxilla-first group was 1.23 ± 0.5 mm and 1.23 ± 0.33 mm in mandible-first group, with no significant difference observed between the groups (P > .98). The amount of mandibular autorotation for intermediate splint application showed no significant correlation with the linear discrepancies (P > .58).Conclusion and RelevanceIn patients with skeletal class III malocclusion, mandible-first surgery in bimaxillary orthognathic surgery demonstrates accurate outcomes comparable to maxilla-first surgery.