title: Comparison of growth results in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate after early secondary gingivoalveoloplasty and secondary bone grafting: 20 years follow up.
abstract: The Milan surgical protocol from 1988 has included repair of lip, nose, and soft palate at 6-9 months of age, and closure of the hard palate and alveolus with an early secondary gingivoalveoloplasty at 18-36 months. The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term maxillary growth in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) who had had the early secondary gingivoalveoloplasty, compared with the growth in a sample treated before 1988, by the same surgeon, with a surgical protocol that differed only by the method and the timing of alveolar closure. In the second group they were repaired by secondary bone grafting. The samples consisted of lateral cephalograms of the UCLP early secondary gingivoalveoloplasty sample (15 patients with a mean age of 18 (1.2) years) and of the UCLP bone graft sample (10 patients with a mean age of 19 (1.1) years). The early secondary gingivoalveoloplasty patients showed that maxillary growth was inhibited compared with the secondary bone graft group. Although the early secondary gingivoalveoloplasty allowed for early repair of the alveolus together with palatal repair, eliminating the need for secondary bone grafting, it seemed to have an inhibiting influence on maxillary growth that increased the need for Le Fort I osteotomies. Even with a Le Fort I osteotomy, the early secondary gingivoalveoloplasty allows the total number of operations to be kept down to three, as in most European protocols.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Regional Center for CLP, University of Milan. cmeazzini@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Maria Costanza
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Meazzini
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capasso
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morabito
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garattini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brusati
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D000543:Alveoloplasty; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005893:Gingivoplasty; D006801:Humans; D007085:Ilium / Q000637:transplantation; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014945:Wound Healing; D055815:Young Adult