Mandibular osteodistraction for correction of deep bite class II malocclusion in a horse.

Summary

# Editorial Summary: Mandibular Osteodistraction for Deep Bite Correction in Horses Severe brachygnathia (shortened lower jaw) presenting as a class II malocclusion with excessive overjet can significantly compromise a horse's ability to graze and process feed efficiently, yet corrective options are limited once skeletal growth plates have closed. Verwilghen and colleagues demonstrated a surgical technique using bilateral half-ring external fixators applied across mandibular osteotomy sites, combined with a maxillary bite plate to guide occlusion, with distraction progressing at 1 mm daily following a 5-day latency period. The treated warmblood colt achieved normalisation of the overjet without major operative or post-operative complications, with stable correction maintained at six-month follow-up. This application of distraction osteogenesis—a technique that capitalises on the body's capacity for progressive bone regeneration and concurrent soft tissue remodelling—offers equine practitioners a viable surgical option for correcting significant mandibular length deficits in yearlings and young horses where conventional orthodontic or cosmetic approaches would be inadequate. For those managing horses with severe malocclusions affecting feed intake or dentition wear, this case provides evidence that surgical intervention, though technically demanding, can achieve functional and morphological improvement beyond the window of natural skeletal growth.

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Key Findings

• •Mandibular osteodistraction successfully corrected severe brachygnathia in a warmblood colt using distraction osteogenesis at 1 mm/day
• •Overjet reduction remained stable 6 months post-procedure without major complications
• •Technique allowed progressive mandibular elongation with concurrent bone remodeling and soft tissue adaptation

Conditions Studied