S. Kyrkanides et al., SKELETAL ASYMMETRIES OF THE NASOMAXILLARY COMPLEX IN NONCLEFT AND POSTSURGICAL UNILATERAL CLEFT-LIP AND PALATE INDIVIDUALS, The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal, 32(5), 1995, pp. 428-433
Asymmetries in the nasomaxillary skeleton are very common in individua
ls with unilateral cleft lip and palate. The purpose of this study was
to retrospectively evaluate postsurgical asymmetries of the nasomaxil
lary skeleton in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients, Included in
this study were 36 complete cleft lip and palate subjects, along with
36 noncleft (control) subjects, Skeletal asymmetry, deviations of the
anterior nasal spine, and the premaxillary area were compared by chro
nologic age and skeletal maturation in cleft subjects and controls, Co
mparison between cleft and control cases was assessed, Results indicat
ed that skeletal asymmetry in unilateral clefts and controls peaks dur
ing the pubertal growth spurt, The anterior nasal spine and nasal sept
um always tend to deviate toward the noncleft side of the nasal cavity
, although individual variation exists, Cleft subjects were found to b
e more asymmetric than noncleft subjects to a statistically significan
t degree.