Three Cases of Le Fort IOsteotomy using Bioabsorbable Osteosynthetic Plates

Titanium devices have been frequently used for the osteosynthesis system in orthognathic surgery, and absorbable mini-plates and screws have recently become popular for this system. Among them, bioabsorbable poly-L-lactide (PLLA) mini-plates and screws have gained widespread use in this field. This study reports three cases (one male and two females; aged 19y8m to 30y1m at first visit) who underwent Le Fort I osteotomy and sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO). PLLA mini-plates and screws were used in Le Fort I osteotomy in all cases. Postoperative evaluation was performed by examining cephalograms taken before treatment (T0), at preoperation (T1), immediately after operation (T2), and more than one year after operation (T3). The posterior portion of the maxilla was moved upward after Le Fort I osteotomy to obtain a desirable amount of mandibular setback after SSRO in all cases. All cases showed improved profile and vertical height. There was only little maxillary movement from T2-T3 in both horizontal and vertical dimensions in all cases. All cases showed functional occlusion after the treatment. The present three cases demonstrate that a reliable treatment outcome can be obtained by using PLLA mini-plates and screws in Le Fort I osteotomy.