[CT assist in surgical design for the posterior pharyngeal flap].
OBJECTIVE
To establish a method for assist design of the posterior pharyngeal flap (PPF).


METHODS
The width, length of velopharyngeal space in repose and phonation of "i" in 26 cases with VPI were measured with CT. The width and length of PPF needed, the location of the pedicle and the contact position with the soft palate were analyzed.


RESULTS
The width of velopharyngeal space in repose ranged from 15.10 to 37.25 mm, with the average of 27.01 mm, the length was 12.54 to 30.39 mm, with the average of 22.10 mm. The width in phonation of "i" was 9.11 to 34.06 mm, with the average of 17.69 mm, the position of the pedicle wasall located at the level of the first cervical vertebra or above and the contact area of the flap with the soft palate was in the middle posterior 1/3 mostly.


CONCLUSIONS
As a method to quantitatively evaluate velopharyngeal function, CT can assist in design for the PPF.
Yang
Yu-sheng
YS
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200011, China.
Qiu
Wei-liu
WL
Yuan
Wen-hua
WH
Wang
Guo-min
GM
Tang
You-sheng
YS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010614:Pharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery