Peg Gerrity created this image for a surgeon who is studying the effects of different devices for the distraction of the maxillary bone. The artwork depicts the differential vector of force between an external device that pulls the bones forward in an even line (top image) and a smaller, internal device that can sometimes result in a tilt (lower image).
Craniofacial surgeons can cut bones and use different types of distractors to gradually move the midface forward, causing new bone to form in the spaces over time, making this research important because of the difference it can make for children with bony deformities of the midface.
Explore more of Peg’s work through her Medical Illustration Sourcebook portfolio and at peggerrity.com
