Anthropometric Analysis of Nasal Widening Following Bimaxillary Orthognathic Surgery

Orthognathic surgery aims to improve jaw function and aesthetics, but these procedures can also cause undesired changes in the nasal region, a crucial component of facial appearance. An alar cinch suture has been proposed to mitigate such nasal widening. This study aimed to evaluate changes in the interalar distance (distance between the right and left alar curvature points) and alar base distance (distance between the right and left alar base points) in patients who underwent bimaxillary orthognathic surgery with an alar cinch suture. This retrospective study included patients who underwent bimaxillary orthognathic surgery at the Istanbul University Faculty of Dentistry Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from 2012 to 2018. Interalar and alar base distances were measured on standardized frontal photographs taken preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively. Statistical evaluation was performed using nonparametric methods, including the Wilcoxon signed-rank test applied for preoperative and postoperative comparisons and Spearman rho used to assess correlations, with the significance level set at P <0.05. The interalar distance increased significantly from preoperative to postoperative measurements (median value: 8.04%; mean change: 7.33±5.38%; P =0.001). Similarly, the alar base distance showed a significant increase from preoperative to postoperative measurements (median value: 11.90%, mean change: 12.49±9.57%; P =0.001). No statistically significant correlation was found between the percentage changes in interalar and alar base distances (Spearman ρ =0.201, P =0.359). A tendency toward nasal soft tissue widening was noted after Le Fort I advancement, despite alar cinch suture application.