Temporomandibular Joint Space Changes in Skeletal Class III Malocclusion Patients with Orthognathic Surgery

The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate changes in the temporomandibular joint spaces (TMJSs) in skeletal Class III adult patients with orthognathic surgery using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). CBCT images taken from 26 orthognathic surgery adult patients (15 females, 11 males, average 19.6 ± 2.8 years at pretreatment, range 15.8–26.8 years) with skeletal Class III malocclusion (ANB < 1°) were used for this study. TMJSs (AS, anterior space; SS, superior space; PS, posterior space; MS, medial space; CS, central space; LS, lateral space) were measured at each stage of treatment (T0, pretreatment; T1, presurgery; T2, postsurgery; T3, posttreatment, and T4, retention) and were compared according to gender, side, vertical skeletal pattern, number of surgery sites, and amount of mandibular setback. At T0, TMJSs were significantly greater in SS than in AS and PS. The ratio of AS to SS to PS was 1.0 to 1.5 to 1.1. TMJSs were significantly greater in MS and CS than in LS. The ratio of MS to CS to LS was 1.0 to 1.0 to 0.8. All TMJSs in males were significantly greater than in females except in PS. TMJSs on the left side were significantly greater than on the right side only in PS. TMJSs were not significantly different depending on the SN-MP, number of surgery sites, and amount of setback. From T0 to T4, there were no significant changes in TMJSs or their ratios according to gender, side, sella to nasion (SN), mandibular plane (MP), number of surgery sites, and amount of setback. Exceptionally, at T4, SS and CS were significantly greater in the small amount of setback group than in the large amount of setback group. There were no statistical changes in TMJSs throughout all stages when skeletal Class III patients were treated with surgery.