BACKGROUND Osteotomy is one of the most traumatic but critical procedures in rhinoplasty. A detailed preoperative analysis of the bony vault is essential to perform a successful osteotomy. OBJECTIVES This… Click to show full abstract
BACKGROUND Osteotomy is one of the most traumatic but critical procedures in rhinoplasty. A detailed preoperative analysis of the bony vault is essential to perform a successful osteotomy. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to analyze bone thickness along the osteotomy path in primary rhinoplasty patients. METHODS We analyzed preoperative three-dimensional facial bone computed tomography images of 250 patients who underwent primary rhinoplasty and categorized their bony vault based on symmetry. We measured the bone thickness at three points along the lateral and two points along the medial and intermediate osteotomy paths. RESULTS Among the 250 patients we analyzed, 88 (35.2%) had asymmetric, and 162 (64.8%) had symmetric bony vaults. Notably, the mean thickness of the bony vault was thickest at the middle level of the lateral osteotomy path, and the bony vault was thicker in male patients at all points of medial and lateral osteotomies. Further, in the asymmetric bony vault, the deviated side was thicker than the contralateral side along all osteotomy paths. Particularly, the deviated side was thicker, and the contralateral side was thinner in the asymmetric bony vault than the symmetric bony vault at the middle level of the lateral osteotomy path. CONCLUSIONS The thickness of the bony vault differs according to the osteotomy path and gender. The lateral osteotomy, especially at the mid-point of the deviated side in male patients, is crucial in achieving a more controlled fracture.
               
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