Facial asymmetry in subjects with skeletal Class III deformity.

We investigated the frequency, site, amount, and direction of facial asymmetry in human adults with mandibular prognathism and examined if these characteristics were associated postnatally with cardinal clinical signs that may indicate a predisposition to facial asymmetry. Two hundred twenty young Japanese adults (69 men and 151 women) who exhibited skeletal Class III malocclusions were selected. The sample was divided into a Postnatal Factor Group and a Nonpostnatal Factor Group. The former group included those who had: (1) received orthodontic treatment using a chin cap; (2) exhibited clinical symptoms of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder; (3) reported a history of maxillofacial trauma; or (4) radiographic abnormality of the condyles. Subjects with a deviation of more than 2 mm from the facial midline associated with any of the 4 landmarks (ANS, U1, L1 and Me) were classified as asymmetric and the asymmetry was measured on a postero-anterior (P-A) cephalogram. Radiographic facial asymmetry was found frequently (70%-85%, for Menton), and most obviously in the lower jaw (P < .05). Lateral displacement toward the left side of the face occurred more often than right-sided deviation (P < .001, for Menton). However, the Postnatal Factor Group showed a higher proportion of subjects with lateral deviation toward the right side (P = .0031) and a greater amount (P < .0001) of chin deviation. This was due to the fact that the subjects having TMJ problems as a postnatal factor showed no directional uniqueness in jaw deviation and exhibited a longer distance of deviation.