T-Genioplasty Techniques That Vary Depending on the Shape of the Chin

Hello, this is Dr. Jo Hyun-woo of 입체성형외과.

The most commonly performed surgery in chin surgery is T-osteotomy.

This method involves cutting the bone into a T shape and bringing it together before fixing it in place to refine the chin.

The basic surgical method proceeds as shown in the illustration below.

Basic T-osteotomy method

So, is T-osteotomy performed the same way in every case? Not necessarily.

Each patient has a different jawbone shape, so I’ll go over a variety of surgical methods while looking at each case.

Wide chin

In general, this surgery is performed to make the chin slimmer.

After cutting the central T-shaped bone, the chin is advanced and fixed in cases of a receding chin, and set back and fixed in cases of a protruding chin.

A case in which a wide chin was made slimmer through chin surgery

Short chin

T-osteotomy bone graft lengthening surgery

Square jaw bone graft lengthening surgery

If the chin is short, forcefully removing the central bone can make the chin very small and result in a less attractive shape.

For a short chin, the amount of T-osteotomy bone can be reduced, and the removed bone can be grafted into the center during surgery. Alternatively, bone removed during square jaw surgery can be grafted to extend the length.

A case in which the chin length was extended through square jaw bone grafting

Chin asymmetry

If the chin is asymmetrical, the shape of the bone being removed is changed as shown above before the bone is fixed.

If the right side is more prominent, removing more of the left bone and modifying the central T shape while bringing it together can create the effect of moving the chin toward the center.

A case in which chin asymmetry was improved through square jaw surgery and chin surgery

Long chin

For a long chin, T-osteotomy is performed by removing the upper and lower bones in a disc shape, as shown above.

The drawback of this surgery is that if the amount of bone that must be removed increases, a more pronounced secondary angle with the square jaw can occur, so in most cases I recommend combining it with square jaw surgery.

A case in which a long chin was corrected through square jaw surgery and chin surgery

Split chin

This is usually seen in men.

If there is a buttock-shaped chin as shown above, widening the central bone a bit before cutting and bringing it together can create a more typical chin shape.

A case in which split chin was corrected through square jaw surgery and chin surgery

I have explained this so far using various diagrams and actual patient cases.

As described above, T-osteotomy is a good surgical method that can be applied in many different situations.

If you consider and undergo a surgery suited to your own chin shape, it may be possible to create a more beautiful chin.

Thank you.

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