Correction of unilateral coronal synostosis leads to resolution of mandibular asymmetry in rabbits

Mandibular dysmorphology in unilateral coronal synostosis has been recognized clinically. In patients with unilateral coronal synostosis, the chin point deviates away from the affected side. To investigate whether this mandibular asymmetry resolves after correction of unilateral coronal synostosis, familial nonsyndromic rabbits were used. Rabbits with unilateral coronal synostosis that underwent "correction" with resection of the affected suture were compared with "uncorrected" rabbits with unilateral coronal synostosis and normal, wild-type rabbits (n = 36; three equal groups of 12). Serial lateral cephalograms obtained at 10, 25, 42, and 84 days showed no asymmetries in wild-type rabbits and progressive asymmetries in the ramal height and mandibular length in uncorrected unilateral coronal synostosis rabbits. However, in corrected unilateral coronal synostosis rabbits, existing asymmetries at 10 and 25 days improved by 42 days and were not seen by maturity, at 84 days. In dry, mature, mandibular specimens, wild-type rabbits showed equal side-to-side measurements and uncorrected unilateral coronal synostosis rabbits showed the following on the affected side: longer ramal height (15 percent), shorter ramal width (13 percent), longer body height (10 percent), and shorter body width (13 percent). By contrast, the corrected unilateral coronal synostosis specimens showed no side-to-side differences in 10 of 11. There were no asymmetries in condylar shape or condylar volume in any of the three groups. Cranial base measurements showed asymmetries of the uncorrected unilateral coronal synostosis specimens that were consistent with an anteriorly positioned glenoid fossa on the affected side. However, only one of 11 corrected unilateral coronal synostosis specimens showed similar cranial base asymmetries. The data showed that mandibular asymmetries in nonsyndromic, familial rabbits with unilateral coronal synostosis are progressive with growth but improve after correction of synostosis.