The cleft lip lower-lip deformity.
A patient with a repaired upper lip cleft may acquire a deformity in the lower lip. Records of 63 cleft lip patients who exhibited lower-lip abnormalities were analyzed in order to characterize the soft-tissue and skeletal configuration. The typical deformity was a hypertrophied, superiorly displaced, and anteriorly rotated lower lip. Skeletal analysis of the mandible revealed a variable and inconsistent degree of vertical elongation with posterior displacement of the chin. Operative correction of the cleft lip lower-lip deformity required evaluation of both the soft-tissue and skeletal abnormalities. Soft-tissue procedures gave permanent correction, provided there was a normal maxillary-mandibular relationship. Skeletal correction alone did not completely rectify the abnormal lower-lip posture.
Division of Plastic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Children's Hospital, Boston, Mass.
J M
JM
Pensler
J B
JB
Mulliken
D000293:Adolescent; D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation