Le Forte 1 Osteotomy for Correction of Maxillary Deformities. Journal of Oral Surgery. Vol 33, June 1975

Within the wide scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthognathic surgery is considered one of the cornerstone specialties an oral and maxillofacial surgery can provide for patient care. Not only does orthognathic surgery provide esthetic benefits for patients but more importantly improving function by correcting the dentofacial deformity. The first large technical advancements in this area of surgery came in the twentieth century in Europe. However, Dr. William Bell was an American oral and maxillofacial surgeon pioneering the study of wound healing, vascularity, and surgical biology of maxillary and mandibular osteotomies. Notably, he provided over 170 journal articles, 8 textbooks, and countless book chapters to further the study of orthognathic surgery and correction of dentofacial deformities. One of his early papers in the year 1975 describing the vascularity, wound healing, and technique for the modern maxillary Le Forte or Le Fort I osteotomy still holds true and continues to be practiced today.