Mandibular range of motion after bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy with wire osteosynthesis or rigid fixation

Subjects. The subjects were 127 patients with Class II malrelation (Table I). Exposure. Soft tissue dissection and splitting of the mandible followed by wire osteosynthesis and 8 weeks of maxillomandibular fixation (49 subjects) or rigid internal fixation (78 subjects). Main Outcome Measure. The main outcome measure was differences in the mandibular range of motion between the wire osteosynthesis group and the rigid fixation group. The 2 groups were compared at 2 weeks, 8 weeks, 6 months, and 1, 2, and 5 years after surgery. Main Results. The rigid fixation group showed a smaller initial decrease in opening by 12 weeks. At 5 years there was no difference in range of motion postsurgically between the 2 groups.