The influence of a Le Fort I impaction and advancement osteotomy on smile using a modified alar cinch suture and V-Y closure: a prospective study

A previous report from the authors' department showed that a modified alar cinch suture combined with a muco-musculo-periosteal V-Y closure (mACVY) improves nasolabial mobility. To test if the improvements were equal to the range of nasolabial mobility in non-dysgnathic persons, a prospective study was carried out in 56 patients: 31 with mACVY, 25 with simple closing sutures (SCS) and 18 non-operated, angle class I volunteers. Standardized full facial frontal photographs, taken immediately preoperatively and 18 months postoperatively were used. The landmarks, alare, crista philtri and cheilion were analysed. The test has a standard deviation of 0.9 mm. Intra-group changes, paired t-test, and inter-group differences, unpaired t-test (p <0.05) were statistically analysed. The results show significant preoperative differences in nasolabial mobility compared with the control group, for both groups. Postoperative mobility improved in both groups, but significantly with mACVY with horizontal movement of cheilion and alare, and the vertical movement of crista philtri and less so for the vertical movement of crista philtri with SCS. Postoperative inter-group differences in mobility were small and significant for SCS vs the control group. It can be concluded that using mACVY improves orofacial movement to the level of normal class I volunteers.