Abstract
Objectives: Intermaxillary fixation (IMF) is used to rest the jaws of patients who have undergone orthognathic surgeries for jaw deformities, until the position of the jaws is stabilized. For the duration of the IMF, the patients are unable to consume solid food. Upon the release of the IMF, recovery until ingestion of solid food as a normal diet is gradual in accordance with the ability of mastication. The objective of the present study was to identify the nutritional issues associated with IMF and their influence on the occlusal force after the release of the IMF.
Methods: Fifteen patients who underwent orthognathic surgery (sagittal split ramus osteotomy ［SSRO］ or SSRO combined with Le Fort I osteotomy) and postoperative IMF were measured for the occlusal force and body weight prior to orthognathic surgery, after the release of the IMF, and during their outpatient visits for up to 6 months after discharge. In addition, the date when the participants ate each of the listed food items for the first time after the release of the IMF was gathered from the patient reports during the 6-month post-orthognathic surgery follow-up. The nutrient intake over a month pre-admission and during the post-discharge period was also investigated by the food frequency method.
Results: The occlusal force and body weight of the patients were reduced after orthognathic surgery and IMF, which required approximately 3 and 6 months for recovery, respectively. Similarly, the restoration to the regular diet required 3 months. Due to the decrease in the overall quantity of food consumption, the patients’ diet after discharge contained less energy than that during the pre-admission period. Furthermore, their intake of the nutrients related to wound healing was less than the estimated nutritional requirement of a physically unimpaired person.
Conclusions: The patients’ food intake was reduced after orthognathic surgery and IMF, and it was associated with the reduction of occlusal force. Therefore, nutritional support, including advice on food choices and cooking methods, for approximately 3 months until the recovery of occlusal force, might be effective in improving the nutritional conditions and promoting wound healing in patients after orthognathic surgery and IMF.
