Methods: Ten patients were selected from the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of Piracicaba Dental School-Unicamp, with no distinction made of race gender or age. They were operated on by the same surgeon. The orthognathic surgical procedures were performed between 1994 and 1996 for correction of mandibular prognathism and occlusion type Classe III (Angle Classification), with elongated mandibles. The patients were followed from preoperative period until at least six months after the surgery; the follow up was clinical and radiographic, lateral cephalometric X-rays were taken immediately presurgery and postsurgery and at least six months postsurgery. None of the patients were treated with genioplasty. Lines were draw upon the X-rays, applying linear and angular cephalometric measurements: Pog-Nperp, B-Nperp, I-Nperp, Me-Nperp e SNA, SNPog respectively.
Results: Statistical anlysis (paired Friedman test) showed no significant differences between the lateral cephalometric X- Rays taken immediately postsurgery and at least six months postsurgery period. No recurrences were observed, except in linearcephalometric measurement I-Nperp.
Conclusions: No significant differences were observed between data in the immediately postsurgery, and six months postsurgery periods, except for the linear measure I-Nperp. We concluded that the sagital split ramus osteotomy using rigid internal fixation is a reliable procedure.