Photographic and cephalometric assessment of neck changes following orthognathic surgery in skeletal class III patients

Purpose In facial aesthetic evaluation, the profile view plays an undeniable role. The submandibular and cervical regions are considered key anatomical areas in defining the lower third of the facial profile and are particularly important in assessing the aesthetic outcomes of orthognathic surgery in patients with skeletal Class III deformities. Given the clinical significance of postoperative aesthetic changes in the cervical and submandibular regions, the present study was designed to evaluate these changes following orthognathic surgery. Methods This before-and-after observational study included 32 patients with skeletal Class III deformity who underwent bimaxillary orthognathic surgery comprising mandibular setback and maxillary advancement. Cephalometric parameters, including the soft-tissue facial angle, lower lip–chin–throat angle, cervical length, and gonial angle, as well as photographic parameters, including the narrowest width of the hourglass region, hourglass depth, and hourglass angle, were measured preoperatively and six months postoperatively. Statistical analysis was performed using the paired t-test, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Cephalometric findings showed that most structural indices significantly decreased after surgery, except for the lower lip to E-line index, which showed a significant increase. In the photographic analysis, most indices demonstrated a significant increase, whereas DHG-R and DHG-L showed a significant decrease after surgery. Conclusion Orthognathic surgery in patients with skeletal Class III deformity resulted in significant improvement in the aesthetic indices of the cervical and submandibular regions. These changes may contribute to improved overall facial profile harmony and increased patient satisfaction.