COMPARATIVE OUTCOMES OF SURGICAL AND NON-SURGICAL APPROACHES IN MAXILLARY TRANSVERSE DEFICIENCY TREATMENT

Aim of the study Maxillary transverse deficiency (MTD) significantly impacts oral function, facial aesthetics, and respiratory health. Treatment modalities range from non-invasive skeletal expansion techniques to complex orthognathic surgery. This study aimed to compare the clinical effectiveness of three distinct approaches—Maxillary Skeletal Expander (MSE), Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (SARPE), and segmented Le Fort I osteotomy (LFT)—in adult patients diagnosed with MTD. The null hypothesis was that no significant difference exists between these treatment strategies. Materials and methods A total of 30 adult patients diagnosed with MTD were allocated into three treatment groups (MSE, SRP, and LFT). Pre- and post-treatment evaluations included clinical examination, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), and psychological assessment. Primary outcome measures were interpremolar distance, distance between palatal root apices of molars, and nasal airway volume. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc tests at a significance level of p 0.05. Results Statistically significant increases in interpremolar width, root apex distance, and nasal airway volume