Is It Normal To Have Two Different Gaps On The Sides Of A Sliding Genioplasty?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I know you are an expert when it comes to chin movements and sliding genioplasties. About 4.5 months ago I had a sliding genioplasty done and recently I got a panoramic X-ray done at the dentists office. I noticed that there is a slight dark gap on one side along with a faint black line between the advanced chin bone and the rest of the jaw. My movements were 6 mm forward, 3 mm down, and 3 mm widening. Is this normal?

A: Such asymmetries in the osteotomy lines and in the subsequent back end of the osteotomy lines, while not desired, are not abnormal when the natural chin asymmetry exists with two different lengths/shape of the jawline on each side.