Hard and soft tissue predictability with advancement genioplasties.

Variability in soft tissue response to genial advancements has been noted in the literature. Although many factors may influence the results, little attention has been paid to bony vertical movement in conjunction with the bony horizontal movement of the chin and its effect on horizontal soft tissue movement. Eighteen patients who underwent isolated genial advancements were studied preoperatively and for at least 6 months after surgery. It was noted that the further the chin was advanced the less the soft tissue followed the advancement. In addition, vertical movement of the chin greatly influenced the overall result. The more the bony chin is shortened, the thicker the soft tissue chin becomes; the reverse is true when it is lengthened. Finally, horizontal resorption/stability appears to be influenced by the amount of dissection rather than the amount of advancement.