The influence of two-flap palatoplasty on facial growth in beagles.
This study was designed to test the hypothesis that palate repair in beagles inhibits overall facial growth, primarily in the transversal dimension. Direct cephalometry of the skulls at 28 weeks postoperatively showed that two-flap palatoplasty did not inhibit overall facial growth in animals with surgically created cleft lip, alveolus, and palate. In many cases, facial growth in animals with palate repair was indistinguishable from that in unoperated control animals. The unexpected finding in this study was that two-flap palatoplasty seemed to stimulate intensive new bone formation in the surgically created alveolar and palatal defects. Bony remodeling may be responsible for the enhanced anteroposterior and transversal facial growth in animals with palate repair (group 3). The results of this study validate findings from our previous studies in the rabbit model; yet caution should be employed in extrapolation of these findings to the clinical setting. For the first time, evidence is presented that in normal beagles with surgically created alveolar and palatal defects, two-flap palatoplasty stimulated substantial and, significant new bone formation in the site of the defects. Studies should be designed to determine the nature and time course of bony palatal wound healing.
D000818:Animals; D002508:Cephalometry; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008445:Maxillofacial Development; D008722:Methods; D013524:Surgical Flaps