Outcome assessment of the long-term effects of autogenous bone grafting the residual alveolar cleft

Abstract

Multiple surgical procedures of the cleft lip and palate patient may lead to developmental deficiencies of the maxilla and subsequently create a malocclusion. One of the surgical procedures that may contribute to this problem is the reconstruction of the residual oronasal fistula with bone grafting. Our study demonstrates the long- term consequences that this grafting has had in our patient population. We have followed 29 patients from the time of bone grafting to the completion of skeletal maturity. We studied the effects of the surgery on the growth and the eruption of the teeth in the site. All patients were grafted by the same surgeon (S.A.S.). Age at surgery 6–12 (mean 9.23Y) as determined by canine position and growth.