Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the craneocervical posture (Rocabado’s cephalometric analysis), in lateral cephs, of class II and class III patients treated with orthognathic surgery.

Material and method: Three lateral cephs, taken to a random sample of 24 subjects treated with orthognathic surgery, were used. The first one was taken a week before surgery (T1), the second one two weeks after (T2), and the third one six-month later (T3). Computer traced cephalograms were obtained and Rocabadós analysis was performed. Specifically, the craneocervical angle, C0–C1 space, C1–C2 space, and the hyoid triangle, were recorded.

Results: Between T1 and T3, class II subjects had an increase in the craneocervical angle and C0–C1 space. In class III patients the craneocervical angle as well as C0–C1 space decreased. All the results were not statistically significant although they did show a clear tendency. The values for the hyoid triangle behaved unpredictably.

Conclusion: Results suggest that in those subjects who presented a decreased craneocervical angle before surgery (posterior head rotation), a normal occipital-atlas relationship was cephalometrically measured after surgery. The same was true for skeletal class III individuals who reduced their rectified cervical spine, showing proper craneocervical relationship after surgery.

Conflict of interest: None declared.