Adaptation of lateral pterygoid and anterior digastric muscles after surgical mandibular advancement procedures in different vertical craniofacial types: A magnetic resonance imaging study

Objective Surgical mandibular advancement procedures induce major adaptations of jaw-closing muscles. In this study, adaptation of antagonist muscles, the lateral pterygoid (LPM) and anterior digastric (DigA) muscles, was evaluated. Study design Eighteen adult patients with mandibular retrognathia and individually varying vertical craniofacial dimensions were treated with bilateral sagittal split osteotomies (BSSO), in some cases combined with a Le Fort I osteotomy (LF Bimax). The sample was divided into 1 short-face (SF, n = 7) and 2 long-face groups (LF BSSO, n = 3; and LF Bimax, n = 8). Pre- and postoperative maximum cross-sectional areas (CSA) and volumes were compared in these groups. Results Postoperatively, CSA and volume of LPM increased in BSSO cases and decreased in bimaxillary cases. Inconsistent increases and decreases of CSA and volume of DigA were seen in all groups. Conclusions The LPM became larger in SF and LF BSSO patients and smaller in LF Bimax patients. The DigA adapted unpredictably.