Dentoskeletal parameters related to visual perception of facial asymmetry in patients with skeletal class III malocclusion after orthognathic surgery

The purpose of the study is to explore the critical parameters determining the visual perception of postoperative facial symmetry. This study retrospectively included 24 patients with skeletal class III malocclusion and double-jaw orthognathic surgery (OgS). The patients were classified according to the outcome of subjective visual perception scores (SVPS) based on the postoperative frontal images by 10 orthodontists: symmetrical surgical outcome (S group, n = 12) and facial asymmetry after surgery (A group, n = 12). The 3D dentofacial measurements from cone beam computed tomography, were compared between the S and A groups. The relationship of all variables in all patients with the SVPS was explored by Spearman correlation coefficient. Significant differences were observed in the midline parameters in the mandible, the B point, gnathion and menton, and the mandibular border axis as well as in the discrepancy of the chin morphology between the two groups (P < 0.05). The findings demonstrated that the midline parameter deviation, shape of the mandibular border, and the contour of menton morphology play the major role in the visual perceptions of postoperative asymmetry.