The "reverse midface lift": the Le Fort I osteotomy

\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeffA main concept about facial anatomy is the close relationship between soft tissue and underlying skeletal structures: it represents a peculiar aspect of this district and it means that any skeletal change is followed by a modification of the overlying soft tissue, giving the surgeon the possibility to achieve remarkable esthetic improvements of the face through the three-dimensional shifting of skeletal sections. Aim of this chapter is to review the most widely used skeletal surgical procedure of the middle third of the face, i.e. the LeFort I osteotomy, enhancing its aesthetic issues and developing the concept of \u201creverse midface lift\u201d. According to this concept, any skeletal procedure acting on the bone framework can achieve remarkable aesthetic results, comparable to traditional midface lift procedures