Postoperative evaluation of grafted bone in alveolar cleft using three-dimensional computed tomography data.
Objective : Postoperative evaluation of bone formation in the alveolar cleft by computed tomography imaging has been reported. We quantitatively evaluated bone grafts in the alveolar cleft preoperatively and postoperatively using three-dimensional data and superimposition of images. Subjects : A total of 12 patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (six left-sided and six right-sided) were studied. Methods : Helical computed tomography scans were taken immediately before surgery and at 6 months after surgery and the DICOM files obtained were processed using Mimics and 3-matic software for three-dimensional data analysis. The preoperative and postoperative computed tomography data were superimposed, and the position and length of the unerupted canines and width of the alveolar cleft measured. Results : Strong and significant correlations were observed between bone formation in the alveolar cleft bone graft region and preoperative canine position (r  =  -.766, p < .01) and canine length (r  =  .681, p < .05). Stepwise multiple regression analysis demonstrated that only the preoperative canine position was independently and significantly correlated with bone formation in the alveolar cleft. Conclusion : These results indicate that the optimal timing for surgery is when the canine cusp is close to the alveolar plane.
Shuji
S
Yoshida
Kenichiro
K
Suga
Yoko
Y
Nakano
Teruo
T
Sakamoto
Takashi
T
Takaki
Takeshi
T
Uchiyama
D064728:Alveolar Bone Grafting; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000601:surgery; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed