Stability after surgical-orthodontic corrective of skeletal Class III malocclusion. 3. Combined maxillary and mandibular procedures.

Stability after combined Le Fort I and bilateral sagittal split osteotomies was reviewed in 51 patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion. Because vertical changes in the position of the maxilla affect both the vertical and anteroposterior positions of the mandible, the sample was subdivided by the direction of vertical movement of the maxilla at surgery. Excellent postsurgical stability was observed in the long-face Class III patients in whom upward and forward movement of the maxilla was combined with ramus osteotomy to prevent excessive forward rotation of the mandible. When the maxilla was moved forward and the mandible set back with minimal vertical change, moderate relapse tendencies were observed in both jaws, but most of the correction was maintained at 1 year. When the maxilla was moved down and forward while the mandible was set back, moderate vertical relapse of the maxilla and anteroposterior relapse of the mandible followed. Stability of the downward movement of the maxilla was, on average, better than that resulting from maxillary surgery alone.