Monobloc Distraction and Facial Bipartition Distraction with External Devices

The Kaleidoscope of Midface Management in Apert Syndrome: A 23-Year Single-Institution Experience

BACKGROUND

This study assesses operative trends over time and outcomes of 5 osteotomy techniques used to treat the midface in Apert syndrome. Using clinical and photogrammetric data, the authors present their institution's selection rationale for correcting specific dysmorphologies of the midface in Apert syndrome based on the individual phenotype.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed patients with Apert syndrome who underwent midface distraction from 2000 through 2023. Patients were temporally divided by 2012 to assess differences in surgical approach. Postoperative facial dimension changes, surgical and perioperative characteristics, and complications data were compared across techniques.

RESULTS

A total of 39 patients with Apert syndrome underwent 41 midface distraction procedures (23 [56%] in the early cohort and 18 [44%] in the late cohort). The use of segmental osteotomies for frontofacial advancement increased from 0% before 2012 to 61% from 2012 onwards ( P < 0.001). Monobloc with bipartition was the only technique associated with decreased intercanthal distance ( P = 0.016), and Le Fort II with zygomatic repositioning achieved the greatest median change in bilateral canthal tilt of 8.7 degrees (interquartile range, 1.3, 8.7 degrees; P = 0.068). Monobloc with Le Fort II achieved the greatest median change in facial convexity of -34.9 degrees (interquartile range, -43.3, -29.2 degrees; P = 0.031). Severity of complications, stratified by Clavien-Dindo grade, was greater in transcranial than subcranial procedures, but similar between segmental and nonsegmental osteotomies ( P = 0.365).

CONCLUSIONS

In studying the midface in Apert syndrome and attempting to resolve its varying functional and aesthetic issues, the authors document an evolution toward multipiece osteotomies over time. With an appreciation for differential midface hypoplasia, segmentation is found to be associated with more effective normalization of the face in Apert syndrome.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, III.

Craniofacial Distraction Osteogenesis

Distraction osteogenesis (DO) of the craniofacial skeleton has become an effective technique for the treatment of both nonsyndromic and syndromic conditions. The advent of craniofacial DO has allowed for earlier intervention in pediatric patients with less complication risk and morbidity compared to traditional techniques. In this review, we will discuss current application and technique for craniofacial DO by anatomical region and explore future applications in craniofacial surgery.

Crouzon Syndrome Spanning Three Generations: Advances in the Treatment of Syndromic Midface Deficiency

Background

Crouzon syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterized by craniosynostosis, midface retrusion, and exophthalmos. Over the past century, the treatment of craniofacial disorders like Crouzon syndrome has evolved significantly.

Methods

An institutional review board-approved retrospective study was conducted to ascertain the treatment of three individuals with Crouzon syndrome from one family, complemented with a series of literature searches to examine the evolution of craniofacial surgical history.

Results

Dr. David Williams Cheever developed the Le Fort I level to correct malocclusion, maxillomandibular malformations, and midface hypoplasia. Later, Dr. Paul Tessier introduced the Le Fort II and III osteotomies to treat syndromic midface hypoplasia. In 1978, Dr. Fernando Ortiz-Monasterio and Dr. Antonio Fuente del Campo published the first series of monobloc osteotomies, allowing for simultaneous correction of supraorbital and midface malformations, although complicated by blood loss and high infection rates. In 1992, McCarthy et al introduced the concept of gradual distraction to the craniofacial skeleton. In 1995, Polley et al performed the first monobloc advancement using external distraction. Subsequently, in 1997, Polley and Figueroa introduced a rigid external distraction device with multiple vector control to manage severe cleft maxillary hypoplasia. The technique was further refined and applied to treat syndromic midface hypoplasia, reducing complication rates. Currently, either external or internal distraction approaches are used to safely treat this challenging group of patients.

Conclusion

The treatment of syndromic midface deficiency has significantly evolved over the past 50 years, as evidenced by this report of three generations of Crouzon syndrome.

Syndromic Craniosynostosis: Cranial Vault Expansion in Infancy

Syndromic craniosynostosis (CS) represents a relatively uncommon disease process that poses significant reconstructive challenges for the craniofacial surgeon. Although there is considerable overlap in clinical features associated with various forms of syndromic CS, key extracranial features and close examination of the extremities help to distinguish the subtypes. While Virchow's law can easily guide the diagnosis of single suture, nonsyndromic CS, syndromic CS traditionally results in atypical presentations inherent to multiple suture fusion. Coronal ring involvement in isolation or associated with additional suture fusion is the most common pattern in syndromic CS often resulting in turribrachycephaly.