Mandibular distraction osteogenesis in a skeletal Class II patient with obstructive sleep apnea

We report the orthodontic treatment of a 31-year-old man with severe skeletal Class II malocclusion and documented obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). He had a retrognathic profile with an overbite of 4 mm and an overjet of 14 mm. Mandibular distraction osteogenesis was performed to lengthen the small, retruded mandible by 18 mm and improve the symptoms of OSA. Orthodontic treatment after the mandibular distraction osteogenesis procedure lasted 3 years 1 month. An acceptable occlusion was obtained, and the patient’s OSA was significantly alleviated. Although the patient was satisfied with the treatment, condylar resorption was observed. The relevance of condylar resorption with reference to a comprehensive evaluation of the treatment outcome is discussed.