Facial Skeletal Growth and Timing of Surgical Intervention

Various forces and factors influence the development and maturation of the craniofacial skeleton. These encompass genetic and micro- and macro-environmental factors whose intricacies and interplay must be understood, recognized, and respected in the surgical planning and treatment of maxillofacial deformities. The theories of and experimentation with such factors, which dictate the timing of surgical intervention, are the focus of this article. The common procedures that make up the surgical armamentarium of the maxillofacial surgeon are catalogued in the setting of this developmental timeline.