A new condylar positioning technique in orthognathic surgery. Technical note.

In two-jaw surgery, special importance must be attached to the maintenance of the condylar position, particularly in combination with rigid fixation, not only to enhance the stability of the post-operative result but also to avoid iatrogenic temporomandibular joint complications. The new positioning method reported herein is based on a mini fragmentation plate, which can be easily adapted to the bone surface. Reinforcement of the plate by autopolymerizing acrylate, injected into a silicone tube which is pushed over the plate, prevents any unnoticed deformation of the positioning device during surgery. In clinical use, this positioning method has proved to be more versatile and technically less difficult to perform than previous techniques, without any decrease in reliability.