Quantification of mentolabial profile using lateral roentgen cephalography and profile reconstruction by mandibular osteotomy in healthy adults and patients with scar contracture following severe facial burns

Here mentolabial form including lateral facial contour and bony contour in healthy adults was studied to refer to values of normal mentolabial form using lateral roentgen cephalography. In soft tissue of healthy adults, thickness of mentolabial soft tissue was greater for men than for women. Degree of mentolabial curvature was greater for men than for women. In severe facial burn patients, the micrognathia-like deformity was evaluated compared with the reference values. In soft tissue of severe facial burn patients, loss of mentolabial sulcus and eversion of the lower lip were characteristically analyzed, suspecting that the major cause was scar contracture. These statistical data contribute to reconstruction of micrognathia-like deformity after severe facial burn to lead to favorable mentolabial form. It is shown that osteotomized genio-advancement produced ideal mentolabial form in severe facial burn patients, who had not been satisfied with the form by conventional operative methods, free skin flap, skin flap or free skin graft. And that the analyzed data, especially in the parameter of thickness of mentolabial sulcus, was improved.