K. Mishima et al., Comparison between the palatal configurations in complete and incomplete unilateral cleft lip and palate infants under 18 months of age, CLEF PAL-CR, 38(1), 2001, pp. 49-54
Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the three-dimensional c
haracteristics of the palatal configurations in incomplete unilateral cleft
lip and palate (UCLP) patients and to determine whether there are differen
ces in the effect of early orthopedic treatment between complete and incomp
lete UCLP patients.
Design: Eight infants with incomplete UCLP and 12 infants with complete UCL
P, selected at random, wore Hotz plates, and 8 other infants with complete
UCLP did not, Palatal impressions were taken of these patients immediately
after birth and at 1, 2, 3, 4 (just before cheiloplasty), 6, and 18 months
of age (just before palatoplasty). Using our measuring system, the palatal
casts were measured and compared three-dimensionally.
Results and Conclusions: The palate of the incomplete UCLP patients measure
d immediately after birth, compared with complete UCLP, showed: (1) smaller
posterior arch width; (2) sagittal arch length did not differ; (3) incisal
point was located more mesially; (4) the gap between the alveolar arch for
ms of the major and minor segments was smaller; and (5) the curvature of th
e palatal surface forward the nasal cavity in the minor segment was less, A
t 18 months of age, the following characteristics could be observed: (1) th
e difference observed at birth in the posterior arch width between the inco
mplete and complete UCLP infants vanished; (2) a significant difference in
the location of the incisal point was observed only between the incomplete
UCLP infants and the complete UCLP infants with a Hotz plate; and (3) the c
urvature was less in the incomplete UCLP infants than in the complete UCLP
infants, Furthermore, the morphological change of the palatal surface was l
ess in the incomplete UCLP infants than in the complete UCLP infants, This
suggested that any influence of the Hotz appliance might be less in incompl
ete UCLP than in complete UCLP.