[A new fixed Twin-block appliance in the treatment of adolescent patients with skeletal Class Ⅱ malocclusion].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical effect of a new fixed Twin-block on adolescent patients with skeletal ClassⅡ malocclusion.

METHODS

Twenty-one patients aged 10-13 years with skeletal ClassⅡ malocclusion with mandibular retrusion were chosen for functional treatment using a new fixed Twin-block. Before and after treatment, panoramic and cephalometric films were taken, and the observation indexes were measured and recorded.

RESULTS

There was no loosening or destruction of the appliance during treatment, the mean duration of treatment was (11.42±1.78) months. The position of the mandible(SNB), the length of the mandible (Co-Gn), nasolabial angle (Cm-Sn-UL), condylar sagittal position(Pcd-S), the lower labial protrusion distances (LL-SnPg') were significantly increased (P＜0.05) after treatment, and the relative position of the maxilla and mandible (ANB), Y-axis angle(SGn/FH), the inclination of the maxillary incisors (U1/SN), and the depth of the mental-labial sulcus (Si-LLPg') reduced(P＜0.05). Maxillary position(SNA), posterior mandibular position(S Vert-Co), mandibular length(Go'-Me), the mandibular incisor inclination (IMPA), and upper and lower mesial incisor angles(U1/L1), protrusion of the upper lip (UL-SnPg') were changed but without significant difference(P＞0.05). The vertically orientated measurements of the vertical position of the lower dentition(Ll-MP), L6-MP, the vertical distance of the upper and posterior teeth (U6-PP), anterior height (N-Me), facial height index(S-Go'/N-Me), and mandibular plane angle (MP/SN) did not change significantly(P＞0.05), while the posterior height(S-Go'), the vertical position of the upper dentition(U1-PP), occlusal plane angle (SN/OP), mandible height (Ar-Go'), the mandible ramus height(Co-Go) was increased significantly (P＜0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

New fixed Twin-block significantly promotes mandibular growth and provides effective vertical control, improves the facial profile by retracting the maxillary incisors, and the clinical effect is reliable.