A novel skeletal anchorage for rigid external distractor

Aim: Maxillofacial surgery has always aimed to find alternative therapies to treat severe maxillary hypoplasia. Distraction osteogenesis of the midface has become the technique with the best functional and aesthetic results. Nevertheless, anchoring a distractor to the middle third of the face continues to involve complex planning. Plus, achieving the desired force vector can sometimes be cumbersome and uncomfortable. The aim of this study is to propose a novel skeletal anchorage technique for the rigid external distractor.Methods: Non-controlled, prospective study of 9 patients with severe midface hypoplasia who were treated with distraction osteogenesis using a rigid external distractor anchored to the infraorbital rims and the bilateral pyriform apertures. The activation phase started the first postoperative day at a rate of 1 mm per day. The consolidation period lasted 6 to 8 weeks.Results: Eight patients achieved the desired distraction objective (24.5 mm on average), with only 1 suffering a 5-mm relapse. None of the patients reported complications.Conclusion: Distraction osteogenesis of the midface by skeletal anchorage is an alternative method when treating patients with severe maxillary hypoplasia. It has significant advantages compared to traditional anchoring because it simplifies the procedure, diminishes the costs and complications