Use of an 'osteocompressor' to avoid damage to the inferior alveolar nerve in the mandibular setback procedure: can the positive effects of osteodistraction be used in reverse? An experimental study in dogs.

We have designed an osteocompressor to try and avoid damage to the inferior alveolar nerve during sagittal split setback osteotomy of the mandibular ramus, and tested it on the mandibles of 10 dogs. The osteocompressor bears a superficial resemblance to an osteodistractor, but has a different internal structure that allows it to compress rather than distract. We were able to compress the neurovascular canal, the neurovascular bundle, the cancellous bone, and the mandible in dogs at a rate of 1 mm/day by rotating the screw of the compressor 1.5 times. We conclude that in dogs the neurovascular canal and neurovascular bundle can be compressed with this device without loss of sensation. We believe that this is the first publication on nerve canal compression and osteocompression.