The use of stereophotogrammetry in oral surgery: measurement of area changes after secondary epithelization and grafting vestibuloplasties.

Objective: Stereophotogrammetry (SPT) is a method in which three-dimensional coordinates are calculated from multiple two-dimensional projections. The purpose of this study was to compare the surface area changes between the secondary healing and grafting vestibuloplasty techniques in the mandible by using a stereophotogrammetric technique (SPT).

Patients And Methods: Thirteen patients were included in this study: six patients were managed by using full-thickness skin or palatal mucosa grafts (two full-thickness palatal mucosal grafts and four full-thickness skin grafts); the remaining seven patients, who did not accept a second surgery for graft harvesting, underwent secondary epithelization vestibuloplasties. Postoperative changes of surgical areas were measured by using SPT.

Statistical Analyses: The Wilcoxon (intragroup comparisons) and Mann-Whitney U (intergroup comparisons) tests were used for analysis of data.

Results: In the grafting vestibuloplasty group, the surface area gain was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In the secondary epithelization vestibuloplasty group, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05), with even decrease of surface area being noted in some cases.

Conclusion: SPT is a valid method for measurement of intraoral soft tissue changes.