In Vitro Comparison of the Sagittal Split Osteotomy With and Without Inferior Border Osteotomy

Purpose: By adding an osteotomy of the inferior border of the mandibular body to the classic sagittal split osteotomy, the authors expected to prevent unfavorable splits and damage to the inferior alveolar nerve. Materials and Methods: Thirty-five human mandibles were used to perform 70 sagittal split osteotomies as an in vitro study. Conducted as a split-mouth model, each mandible was split at the midline. One side of the mandible was split using the traditional Obwegeser-Dal Pont technique, and the other side was split in the same manner with an additional osteotomy of the inferior mandible border. The torque used to split the mandible was measured, and the fracture line of the mandible was recorded. Results: The average torque associated with the original technique was 1.38 Nm (standard deviation, 0.60 Nm), with a fracture line along the mandibular canal. The average torque required to split the hemimandible with the modified technique was 1.02 Nm (standard deviation, 0.50 Nm), a significant (P <.001) difference, with a fracture line parallel to the posterior ramus of the mandible. The fracture pattern depended significantly on the technique used (P <.001), but not on the applied torque force. Conclusion: By adding an osteotomy of the inferior mandibular border to the sagittal split osteotomy, less torque was needed to split the mandible. The fracture line was more predictable, even when all the surgical manipulations were performed at a safe distance from the inferior alveolar nerve.