Prospective Registry of 3-dimensional Virtual Treatment Planning of Orthognathic Surgery

Orthognathic surgery or corrective jaw surgery is indicated for conditions of the jaw and face that are related to structure or growth malfunctioning, orthodontic problems, or co-morbidities associated with skeletal disfigurement.

Imaging is crucial in the assessment and treatment planning of orthognathic surgery patients. Until recently, two-dimensional (2D) imaging, through cephalometry, was standard practice. However, it showed several limitations. The introduction of the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) enabling three-dimensional (3D) imaging has caused a paradigm shift. Though widespread implementation in routine practice is not yet present. Our department is one of the pioneers in the world of 3D virtual treatment planning for orthognathic surgery. The "triple CBCT scan procedure" has been developed in-house and implemented already in 2009.

The investigators aim to develop a prospective database registering 3D treatment planning data of all consecutive patients eligible for orthognathic surgery, performed by Prof. Swennen. Patient demographics, detailed virtual 3D treatment planning parameters and orthognathic surgery data are being collected during consecutive visits within the framework of routine practice.

Development of a database registering 3D virtual treatment planning data of orthognathic surgery, will provide more information about potential patient, virtual planning and surgical factors influencing postoperative accuracy of jaw correction, long-term stability of the jawbone, long-term condylar resorption, or soft tissue response. In general, it could provide answers on research questions that have been examined in prior studies on 2D-imaging, but can now be re-examined in case of 3D-imaging. Moreover, registration of those results could function as a measurement of quality of care, or could be used for sample size calculation for future large multicenter prospective trials.