Multimodal analgesia in orthognathic surgery

Abstract

Orthognathic surgery, as part of maxillofacial surgery, involves the correction of dentofacial deformities for both functional (occlusion, speech and sleep disturbances) and aesthetic reasons. Deformities of this kind affect between 5–10% of the general population. The underlying causes are not clear, though genetic, environmental and embryonic factors have been suggested to play a role (1). The surgical techniques used are complex, with osteotomies of the mandible and upper maxilla that allow three-dimensional displacements of both bone structures with the purpose of aligning the facial axes.