| PURPUSE: The objective of this study was to analyze the cranial base morphologic characteristics of patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate(UCLP) who had received palatoplasty or not to identify the effects of palate repair on cranial base morphology.METHODS: Lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken for 3 groups of individuals:(1) 37 UCLP patients who had only lip repaired;(2) 37 UCLP patients who had both lip and palate repaired;(3) 37 noncleft peers as controls. All proups were classified into two different growth stages respectively according to the cervical vertebral maturity. Cephalograms were traced and the measurements were statistically analyzed among the same growth stage of different groups and also between different growth stages of the same group.RESULTS: Both UCLP groups didn't differ from each other on cranial base measurements, but had reduced posterior cranial base length(Ba-S) compared with the control group. Both UCLP groups had more reduced maxillary length(ANS-Ptm) than control group, and the UCLP group with both lip and palate repaired had more retrognathic maxilla(SNA) before the end of growth peak, but there were no significant differences after the end of growth peak between these two UCLP groups. No significant differences were found on mandibular measurements among UCLP and control groups.CONCLUTION: Palate repair has no negative impact on cranial base development in patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate. Whether those patients with UCLP had palate repaired or not, they all have reduced posterior cranial base length and proportional increase of the anterior and posterior cranial base length. In vertical, UCLP patients have the same cranial base growth with the normal population. UCLP patients with or without palate repair have normal mandible and reduced maxillary length which will be severer progressively with age, compared with the normal population. |
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