Long-term effects of clefts on craniofacial morphology in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the long-term effects of clefts (intrinsic and functional) on craniofacial growth and to evaluate the possible association between the sizes of the cleft maxillary segment (intrinsic) and alveolar cleft (functional) and the craniofacial morphology in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP).


METHODS
Retrospective case-control study.


METHODS
Sri Lankan Cleft Lip and Palate Project.


METHODS
Thirty unoperated adult patients with UCLP and 52 normal controls.


METHODS
Maxillary dental cast was used to measure the sizes of the cleft maxillary segment and alveolar cleft. Cephalometry was used to determine craniofacial morphology.


RESULTS
Patients with UCLP had shorter height of the basal maxilla, shorter posterior length of the basal maxilla, and less protruded basal maxilla at the zygomatic level than did control subjects. In patients with UCLP, the posterior height of the basal maxilla was related to the size of the cleft maxillary segment, and there was a tendency toward significant association between the anterior height of the basal maxilla and the size of the alveolar cleft.


CONCLUSIONS
The adverse effects of clefts on the growth of the maxilla in patients with UCLP are restricted to the basal maxilla in size. This growth inhibition is major in height and minor in length. The reduced posterior height of the basal maxilla in unoperated patients with UCLP might be primarily attributed to intrinsic effects, whereas the reduced anterior height of the basal maxilla might be attributed to functional effects.
Liao
Yu-Fang
YF
Department of Dentistry, Craniofacial Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Mars
Michael
M
D000328:Adult; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002508:Cephalometry; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000473:pathology; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D008445:Maxillofacial Development / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012886:Skull / Q000254:growth & development*; D019291:Skull Base / Q000473:pathology