Sliding Osteotomy Genioplasty for Facial Aesthetic Balance: 10 Years of Experience

The chin, one of the most obvious facial structures, plays an important role in the perception of the face as an instrument of communication. To alter the chin contour in a reliable manner, horizontal sliding osteotomy of the mandibular symphysis with advancement of the mobilized segment is the technique of choice for correction of the anterior posterior deficiency. This study describes surgical techniques used in aesthetic and functional surgery of the chin as well as the outcomes. Over a 10-year period, 474 patients underwent orthognathic surgery for correction of their malocclusion. Of these 474 patients, 155 were treated in combination with a sliding genioplasty (SGP) and 37 (29 women and 8 men; average age, 32 years; range, 18-47 years) had an isolated SGP. Of these patients, 33 had chin advancement and 4 had chin reduction. The mean chin advancement was a modest 4.5 mm (range, 2-7 mm), and the mean chin vertical displacement was 3.9 mm (range, 2.5-4.1 mm).