Three-dimensional evaluation of postoperative stability: a comparative study between surgery-first and surgery-late protocols

The main objective of this study was to compare the stability of the surgery-first and surgery-late approaches according to the standardized centre protocols, by three-dimensional evaluation after 1 year of follow-up. A retrospective study was designed that included a test group (surgery-first protocol) and a control group (surgery-late protocol), with a follow-up period of at least 1 year (average 14 months; range 12–24 months). Stability was evaluated using linear and angular measurements by superimposing cone beam computed tomography images obtained at specific points in time: preoperatively, 1 month after surgery, and at the end of the orthodontic treatment. A total of 56 patients with a mean age of 32.2 ± 11.1 years were included in the study. After surgery there were significant changes in all of the measurements in at least one dimension in both groups (except for the transverse maxillary dimension), which remained stable at the end of the treatment, with no statistically significant differences between the two groups. At the 1-year follow-up, both groups presented a SNA angle relapse; this relapse was more significant in the surgery-late group (P = 0.031) and was present only in Class III patients (P = 0.013). In conclusion, an equivalent three-dimensional stability between surgery-first and surgery-late protocols was demonstrated after 1 year of follow-up when eligibility criteria were strictly adhered to.