The Rotterdam Palatal Distractor: introduction of the new bone-borne device and report of the pilot study

Transverse maxillary hypoplasia, in adolescents and adults, is frequently seen as an acquired deformity and in congenital deformities patients and can be corrected by means of surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion. Traditionally, the distractors for expansion are tooth-borne devices, i.e. hyrax appliances, which may have some serious disadvantages such as tooth tipping, cortical fenestration, skeletal relapse and loss of anchorage. In contrast, with bone-borne distractors most of the maxillary expansion is orthopedic and at a more mechanically desired level with less dental side effects. A new bone-borne palatal distractor has been developed. By activation the nails of the abutments plates automatically stabilizes the device and no screw fixation is necessary anymore. This new distractor is presented and the data of five acquired deformity and eight congenital deformity patients that were treated with this distractor are reported.