title: 3-D shape analysis of palatal surface in patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate.
abstract: Facial development of patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate (UCLP) is associated with many problems including deformity of the palate. The aim of this study was to evaluate palatal morphology and variability in patients with UCLP compared with Czech norms using methods of geometric morphometrics. The study was based on virtual dental cast analysis of 29 UCLP patients and 29 control individuals at the age of 15 years. The variability of palatal shape in UCLP patients was greater than that in nonclefted palates. Only 24% of clefted palates fell within the variability of controls. The palatal form of UCLP patients (range from 11.8 to 17.2 years) was not correlated with age. Compared with control palates, palates of UCLP patients were narrower, more anteriorly than posteriorly. Apart from the praemaxilla region, they were also shallower, and the difference increased posteriorly. The UCLP palate was characterised by the asymmetry of its vault. The maximum height of the palatal vault was anterior on the clefted side, whereas it was posterior on the nonclefted side. The slope of the UCLP palate was more inclined compared with the control group. The praemaxilla was therefore situated more inferiorly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics (Head: Assoc. Prof. Vladimír Sládek, M.Sc., Ph.D.), Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rusková
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics (Head: Assoc. Prof. Vladimír Sládek, M.Sc., Ph.D.), Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Sárka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bejdová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Medicine Academy of Sciences CR (Head: Prof. Eva Syková, M.D., D.Sc.), Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peterka
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics (Head: Assoc. Prof. Vladimír Sládek, M.Sc., Ph.D.), Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic; Department of Software and Computer Science Education (Head: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pavel Töpfer, Ph.D.), Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Václav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krajíček
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics (Head: Assoc. Prof. Vladimír Sládek, M.Sc., Ph.D.), Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic. Electronic address: velemins@natur.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Velemínská
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D059925:Anatomic Landmarks / Q000473:pathology; D063405:Anatomic Variation; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000473:pathology*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology; D003765:Models, Dental; D010159:Palate / Q000473:pathology*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D014584:User-Computer Interface
keywords: 3-D geometric morphometrics; Dense correspondence analysis; Palatal shape; Surface scanning; Unilateral cleft of lip and palate