Correction of maxillary deformity in infants with bilateral cleft lip and palate using computer-assisted design.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to introduce a method of presurgical maxillary molding using computer-aided design and rapid prototyping in infants with bilateral cleft lip and palate.


METHODS
Seven infants (4 male and 3 female with overall mean age of 7 days) with bilateral cleft lip and palate were subjected to nasoalveolar molding (NAM) technique before the cleft lip repair. The upper denture casts were scanned by a 3-dimensional laser scanner. The digital geometric data were exported to print the solid model with rapid prototyping system. The NAM appliances were fabricated based on these solid models.


RESULTS
The computer-aided design could simplify the NAM procedure and estimate the treatment objective. The appliances could be fabricated based on the rapid prototyping system.


CONCLUSIONS
In infants with bilateral cleft lip and palate, the presurgical orthopedic treatment design and the appliance fabrication could be simplified with computer-aided reverse engineering and rapid prototyping technique.
Department of Orthodontics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, China.
Xin
X
Gong
Quan
Q
Yu
D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D017266:Dental Prosthesis / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted