Fig. 5.

Axial palatal section (APS), lower nasal section (LNS), and upper nasal section (UNS) utilized to analyze the lateral and sagittal displacement of the maxilla and pterygoid plates and the modifications along the entire length of the pterygopalatine suture. a Superimposition of pre-expansion and post-expansion 3D model on anterior cranial base. b APS, superimposed image. c LNS, superimposed image. d UNS, superimposed image. e Anterior cranial base, superimposed image. It can be noticed how bones of the maxillo-facial complex are displaced in the APS, LNS, and UNS, while no displacement takes place on anterior cranial base. For this particular patient, skeletal changes are larger on the right side of the skull rather than on the left side, in all three axial sections (APS, LNS, UNS). Facial soft tissue modifications can also be detected on the APS, LNS, and UNS. Blue lines, MSP and VCP