Surgical acrylic guide for distractor positioning

Abstract

Internal maxillary distraction with the Le Fort I osteotomy is a technique that can provide simultaneous skeletal advancement and gradual expansion of the soft tissue. For calibrating the vectors of the internal distractors and transferring the desired vectors to the patient, surgical guides may be fabricated before surgery on a stereolithographic model. The anterior nasal spine may be used as a critical anatomical landmark for applying this type of surgical guide.

Keywords: distraction osteogenesis; maxilla; surgical plate.