Height of the palatal vault after two different surgical procedures: Study of the difference in patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate

Abstract

The present study compared the height of the palatal vault in dental casts from 320 10-year-old children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) operated on with the push-back technique according to Wardill-Kilner (W-K) with patients operated on with delayed hard palate closure (DHPC). The palatal height in patients operated on with the DHPC technique was found to be significantly higher than in patients operated on with the W-K technique. This coincides with better maxillary growth and better speech in the DHPC group.

Key Words::

• Delayed hard palate closure
• UCLP
• palatal vault height

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.