ABSTRACT
To correct severe deformities, which are disfiguring and may have functional consequences to vision, breathing, and mastication, craniofacial surgeons may find it necessary to perform skeletal osteotomies and rearrangement. These operations are significant undertakings. Many more patients have mild forms of these deformities, for example, ‘‘prominent eyes’’ due to midface hypoplasia or ‘‘receding chins’’ due to underdeveloped mandibles. Particularly in the lower face, some patients have had partial correction of mandibular deficiency through orthodontic treatment. In these patients with less severe abnormalities or those who already have had their occlusion normalized through orthodontic treatment, the appearance of skeletal osteotomies and rearrangement can be simulated through the use of facial implants. Implant surgery can provide the visual effect of certain LeFort I, LeFort III, andmandibular osteotomies.
RATIONALE FOR ALLOPLASTIC VS. AUTOGENOUS MATERIALS
