Bimaxillary surgery to correct high-angle class II malocclusion: does a simultaneous genioplasty affect long-term stability?

High-angle skeletal Class II malocclusion is one of the most challenging dentofacial deviations to treat and, in adults, a combination of orthodontic treatment and bimaxillary orthognathic surgery is often indicated. This study examines the rate of clinically significant relapse and whether a genioplasty affects the treatment outcome of high-angle Class II malocclusions. Cephalometric tracings of 36 consecutively treated high-angle Class II patients were evaluated from pre-surgery to 3 years post-surgery. All patients had undergone bimaxillary surgery (Le Fort I and BSSO), 13 of them had in addition a genioplasty. The maxilla remained stable, whereas relapse (greater than or equal to 2 mm) of the mandibular advancement was seen in 40 per cent of the patients. Advancement greater than 10 mm increased the risk for horizontal relapse. The overjet was normalized and remained stable despite mandibular relapse. Half of the patients had an anterior open bite 3 years post-surgery. A supplemental genioplasty did not affect the relapse rate. Overjet was normalized and remained stable long term; there was an open bite in half of the patients. Combined orthodontic and bimaxillary surgical treatment of high-angle Class II patients showed skeletal relapse (greater than or equal to 2 mm) of the mandible in 40 per cent of patients. Mandibular advancement greater than 10 mm increased the risk for relapse. There was no increased risk for dental or skeletal instability associated with a genioplasty in combination with maxillary and mandibular surgery in the treatment of high-angle skeletal Class II malocclusion.