Influence of alveolar-bone grafting on the nasal profile: unilateral cleft lips, alveoli, and palates.
OBJECTIVE
Secondary bone grafting plays an important role in the multimodal therapy of patients with cleft lips, alveoli, or palates. Through a comparative study of the nasal profile before and after alveolar bone grafting, this article aimed to determine the appropriate timing of operation and keys to success.


METHODS
In the study, 38 cases (23 boys and 15 girls aged 9-13 years, with an average of 11.4 years) were examined of patients with unilateral cleft lips or palates, upon whom secondary bone grafting was performed under general anesthesia. Comparative studies are conducted on their nostril widths and heights in both the cleft side and the noncleft side as well as the widths and angles of the alar bases measured in the preoperative, postoperative, and follow-up (6 months) periods respectively.


RESULTS
Of the 29 cases examined 6 months after the operation, 4 indicate failure as the amount of bone loss exceeds 50%, whereas in the other 25 cases, both the nostril widths of the cleft side have increased, and the nostril heights of the cleft side have decreased significantly (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
As shown in the study, the nasal profile after alveolar bone grafting is changed obviously; thus, it is recommended that patients not receive rhinoplasty before bone grafting or have both operations at the same time.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China.
Yilai
Y
Wu
Guomin
G
Wang
Yusheng
Y
Yang
Yong
Y
Zhang
D000293:Adolescent; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000209:etiology; D000543:Alveoloplasty / Q000379:methods*; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055171:Nasal Cartilages / Q000473:pathology; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000601:surgery; D009666:Nose / Q000473:pathology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012225:Rhinoplasty; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome