FACIAL GROWTH AFTER PRIMARY PERIOSTEOPLASTY VERSUS PRIMARY BONE-GRAFTING IN UNILATERAL CLEFT-LIP AND PALATE

A cephalometric evaluation of long-term changes resulting from two dif ferent surgical techniques for the correction of unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) was undertaken on a sample of 19 males with primary bone grafting, and 42 males with primary periosteoplasty from the Scie nce Academy of the Czech Republic, prague, Lateral cephalometric radio graphs collected at approximately 10 and 15 years of age were traced, digitized, and analyzed using the finite-element method, Facial growth and development between the two groups were compared. Significant dif ferences between the two groups were found in the upper face, the post erior part of the maxilla, the anterior bony chin, and nasal bone area s. The periosteoplasty group demonstrated significantly greater vertic al development between anterior cranial base and the maxilla,The bony chin was larger and a greater inferior displacement of the posterior p alate were found in the periosteoplasty group. An increased proclinati on in the nasal bone was observed in the bone graft group. This invest igation bath confirms the findings of a previous study of these sample populations, and provides additional important details regarding the differences between the groups.