Comparisons of speech aerodynamics and lateral craniofacial cephalometricsin cleft lip and palate patients with and without finnish/r/-sound distortion

To study the associations between the articulation of the Finnish /r/ sound and dentofacial and pharyngeal lateral cephalometric morphology and speech physiology, 18 (12 females, 6 males) young adult cleft patients' /r/ sound was analysed auditorily by 3 speech experts. Laryngeal resistance (LARE), the smallest nasal cross-sectional area (NASA), nasal resistance (NASAR) an d velopharyngeal orifice area (VEPA) were measured with pressure flow techn ique, and 31 points were identified from the lateral cephalograms to landma rk the skeletal structure, pharyngeal airway diameters, and position of the hyoid bone. The present results showed no significant differences in later al cephalometric skeletal, nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal morphology between subjects with and without /r/-sound distortion. There we re no significant correlations either between /r/ distortions and NASA, NAS AR or VEPA. An anteriorly positioned hyoid bone was significantly associate d with decreased LARE and /r/ distortion. LARE was significantly lower in s ubjects with /r/ distortion. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.