title: Three-dimensional evaluation of facial morphology in pre-school cleft patients following neonatal cheiloplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the facial morphology of pre-school patients with various types of orofacial cleft after neonatal cheiloplasty in pre-school aged children; and to compare facial variability and mean shape with age-corresponding healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample included 40 patients with unilateral cleft lip (CL), 22 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), and 10 patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP). Patients were divided into two age categories, with a mean age of 3 years and 4.5 years, respectively. The group of healthy age-matched controls contained 60 individuals. Three-dimensional virtual facial models were evaluated using geometric morphometry and multivariate statistics methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant differences were found between each of the cleft groups and the controls. Color-coded maps showed facial shape deviations, which were located mainly in the nasal area and philtrum in all groups examined, and also in the buccal region and the chin in patients with UCLP or BCLP. These differences became more apparent, but not significantly so, in the older age category.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Facial deviations typical of patients with clefts were observed in all of the patient groups examined. Although the analysis showed statistically significant differences in overall facial shape between patients and controls among all groups tested, the facial morphology in patients who have undergone only neonatal cheiloplasty (CL) is influenced to a small extent and may be considered satisfactory. More severe cleft types (UCLP, BCLP) together with palatoplasty, are reflected in more marked impairments in facial shape.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic. Electronic address: martina.dadakova@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dadáková
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic; Department of Biology and Medical Genetics, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital, V Úvalu 84, 150 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cagáňová
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic; Department of Software and Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dupej
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hoffmannová
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital, V Úvalu 84, 150 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borský
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Velemínská
mesh_terms: D059925:Anatomic Landmarks; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008445:Maxillofacial Development
keywords: 3D imaging; Cleft; Face shape; Geometric morphometry; Neonatal cheiloplasty