title: Evaluation of bone availability in the cleft area following secondary osteoplasty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoplasty in cleft patients provides a basis for shaping a closed dental arch. This study aimed at a radiological appraisal of transplantation success following secondary osteoplasty by means of alveolar bone height as related to some selected influencing factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, postoperative radiographs of 46 patients with unilateral or bilateral clefts of lip, alveolus and palate were analyzed retrospectively. Alveolar bone height was typed according to Abyholm and Bergland and evaluated in consideration of dentition at the time of surgery and existence of the lateral incisor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 76% (n = 35) successes (type I/II) were observed. 6 out of 46 patients (13%) had to be re-operated for osteoplasty at a later date. A non-significantly higher rate of successes occurred during the early mixed dentition. In patients with existing lateral incisor, a higher rate (78% vs. 68%) of alveolar bone heights type I/II was obtained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The successful surgical outcome in terms of alveolar bone height is facilitated by treatment onset preferably during early mixed dentition and in presence of the lateral incisor. Although maximal success rates cannot be obtained using this method, the utility and effectiveness of secondary osteoplasty in cleft patients has been confirmed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Germany. kieferorthopaedie@uni-greifswald.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bayerlein
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Proff
authors.forename: Annegret
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kaduk
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hosten
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gedrange
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods; D011859:Radiography; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome