title: Surgical rehabilitation of nasoalveolar complex in patients with alveolar clefts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to review the outcome of surgical rehabilitation of nasoalveolar complex in patients with alveolar clefts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven patients (13 female, 14 male) with 4 bilateral and 23 unilateral alveolar clefts who were treated in our clinic during the period between 2002 and 2009 were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the patients had oronasal fistulas, and all of them were closed successfully except one. Recurrence of the oronasal fistula was seen in 1 patient. Alar base was supported by onlay cortical bone in most of the patients. Eleven of the canines at the cleft site erupted after the operation in to the grafted area. Seventy-six percent (n = 16) of the 21 patients could be assigned to the successful groups 1 and 2, whereas 24% (n = 5) were assigned to the unfavorable group. There was not any insufficient result.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bone graft placed along the piriform margin and alar wings during alveolar bone grafting improves the results of nasal correction. Late grafting should be performed at least to support the alar base for nasal symmetry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey. timucinbaykul@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Timuçin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baykul
authors.forename: Asim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nasir
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Türkkahraman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009666:Nose / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012225:Rhinoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome