Mandibular Advancement with Bilateral Vertical Ramus Osteotomies in an Infant: A Novel Technique for Addressing Airway Distress in Patients with Craniofacial Anomalies

Patients with craniofacial syndromes that affect mandibular conformation and growth may face significant airway difficulties. Mandibular distraction osteogenesis is a favored surgical approach for addressing micrognathia or retrognathia, in which bone is generated at distracted osteotomized segments in order to advance the mandible and improve airway patency1. Patients with severe craniofacial anomalies, including Goldenhar Syndrome, may have unfavorable mandibular anatomy for distraction, and it has been shown that patients with Goldenhar Syndrome have lower success rates with mandibular distraction and more often require tracheostomy2.
Source: Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Source Type: research