COMPARISON OF QUALITY OF SPEECH AFTER VEAU-WARDILL-KILNER PUSHBACK OPERATION AND THE CRONIN MODIFICATION IN THE PRIMARY-TREATMENT OF CLEFT-PALATE

The quality of sph was compared in 124 young adults with isolated clef t palate. Forty-seven subjects were excluded because of the presence o f factors that might have biased the evaluation of the success rate of the two operations studied, leaving 77 subjects who had undergone pri mary palatoplasty for analysis. One stage closure of the soft and hard palate was done for 43 patients by the mucoperiosteal palatal V to Y pushback technique (Veau-Wardill-Kilner, group V), and 34 underwent th e Cronin modification (group C). Their speech was tape recorded, analy sed by three qualified listeners, and hypernasality assessed by four p ublished hypernasality indexes. More subjects in group C achieved norm al resonance than in group V, who had higher hypernasality index score s than group C. The groups managed pressure consonants similarly. Only a few patients had weak plosives, audible nasal air emission, or comp ensatory articulation. Similar numbers of secondary operations were do ne for both groups. However, group V would have actually required seco ndary surgery more frequently than group C.