Evaluation of border movement of the mandible before and after orthognathic surgery using a kinesiograph

The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in the mandibular border movement between class II and class III jaw deformity patients before and after orthognathic surgery, by using the same device. and Methods: Eighty one patients (28 in class II and 53 in class III) who underwent sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO) with Le Fort I osteotomy using absorbable plate fixation and 27 controls with normal occlusion were enrolled. Mandibular border movement (observed using a kinesiograph) was recorded with a mandibular movement measure system (K7) before surgery, and at 6 months and 1 year after surgery. Time-course changes of 5 components of the mandibular border movement (MVO: Maximum vertical opening, CO to MAP: Maximum antero-posterior movement from centric occlusion, MLDL: maximum lateral deviation left, MLDR: maximum lateral deviation right, CO to MO: centric occlusion to maximum opening) were compared between classes II, III and controls statistically. The relationship between lateral cephalometric measurements and the components of mandibular border movement was also examined. There was a significant difference in CO to MAP (P = 0.0025) and CO to MO (P