Craniofacial Development in Children with Unilateral Clefts of the Lip, Alveolus, and Palate Treated According to Four Different Regimes

Abstract

Lateral skull radiographs of 85 patients with unilateral clefts of the lip, alveolus, and palate treated according to four different regimes were compared at three different ages regarding maxillary development. Regimes that included primary bone grafting to the alveolus at six months of age resulted in inhibited anterior maxillary growth and reduced maxillary inclination. Regimes that included secondary bone grafting after eruption of the incisors but before the eruption of the canines, resulted in better maxillary development, but were not as good as regimes that omitted bone grafting altogether.

Key Words:

• unilateral cleft lip
• alveolus
• palate
• bone grafting
• maxillary growth