title: [Osteo-distractive technique for bony repair of cleft palate in a dog model].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possibility of closing bony palatal cleft and lengthening hard palate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten 6-month mongrel dogs were divided into three groups: the control(n = 2), sham control (n = 2) and the experimental group(n = 6). An 8 mm x 25 mm posterior hard palatal cleft was made surgically by bilateral and anterior osteotomies of the palate in six experimental dogs. After a 5-day latency period, a distraction device made of NiTi-shape memory alloy was placed in position for continuous extension of the hard palate. Each distractor was kept in place for 8 weeks after the cleft was closed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The posterior cleft was closed in 2-3 weeks period of the distraction, while the anterior cleft was narrowed to 1-2 mm in width. The hard palate was lengthened backward obviously. The new bone was observed in the area after the distraction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The above-mentioned technique may be an effective technique for bony repair of the cleft palate.
authors.affiliation: Stomatology of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Limin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Chunming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D019857:Osteogenesis, Distraction / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome