Maxillary Growth Research Articles

Effects of bone anchored maxillary protraction on patients with unilateral cleft lip/palate or isolated cleft palate and hypoplastic maxilla: a 6-year follow-up case control study.

To evaluate the effects of bone-anchored maxillary protraction (BAMP) treatment and longterm stability in growing cleft lip and palate and isolated cleft palate (CLP/CP) patients with mild maxillary hypoplasia and to compare maxillary growth patterns of BAMP-treated patients to matched control CLP/CP patients. Ten patients with CLP/CP were treated with BAMP; they were compared to the maxillary growth pattern of 10 age-matched cleft control patients with no maxillary protraction treatment, who later received surgical Le Fort I maxillary advancement after the growth period. The assessment of maxillary growth and the occlusion started at mean 8 years of age and continued until mean 18 years of age. The use of BAMP orthopedic traction changed the growth pattern of mild hypoplastic maxilla toward a more anterior direction and advanced the face even above the level of Le Fort lll with only a minor effect on dentoalveolar units. The correction of occlusion and facial convexity were stable in the long term. The using BAMP may improve the position of the maxilla relative to the anterior cranial base for the correction of mild maxillary hypoplasia in adolescent patients with CLP/CP. The achieved results are rather stable in the long term.

ORTHODONTIC MANAGEMENT OF THALASSEMIA INTERMEDIA – A CASE REPORT

Background: Beta Thalasssemia (βT) is a genetic disorder causing various orofacial manifestations. It presents clinically in the form of maxillary prognathism and mandibular retrognathism with steep mandibular plane angles. Case Description: This case report presents 9.5 yrs male patient with β Thalasssemia and clinically a developing Class II malocclusion with vertical maxillary excess causing a gummy and unpleasant smile. Orthodontic treatment aimed at restricting the growth of maxilla with use of headgear followed by correcting the dental malocclusion with the help of fixed orthodontic. 3M forsus resistance device was given for mandibular advancement and Class II correction. Conclusions: Early intervention, proper diagnosis and ideal treatment strategy of the case helped achieving good occlusion for the patient and controlled the Class II growing tendency typically seen in thalassemia patients if not addressed at an early age.

ORTHODONTIC MANAGEMENT OF THALASSEMIA INTERMEDIA – A CASE REPORT

clinically in the form of maxillary prognathism and mandibular retrognathism with steep mandibular plane angles. Case Description: This case report presents 9.5 yrs male patient with β Thalasssemia and clinically a developing Class II malocclusion with vertical maxillary excess causing a gummy and unpleasant smile. Orthodontic treatment aimed at restricting the growth of maxilla with use of headgear followed by correcting the dental malocclusion with the help of fixed orthodontic. 3M forsus resistance device was given for mandibular advancement and Class II correction Conclusions: Early intervention, proper diagnosis and ideal treatment strategy of the case helped achieving good occlusion for the patient and controlled the Class II growing tendency typically seen in thalassemia patients if not addressed at an early age.

The Influence of Sidedness in Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate on Mid Facial Growth at Five Years of Age.

To determine whether facial growth at five years is different for children with a left versus right sided cleft lip and palate. Retrospective cohort study. Seven UK regional cleft centres. Patients born between 2000-2014 with a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). 5-Year-Old's Index scores. 378 children were included. 256 (68%) had a left sided UCLP and 122 (32%) had a right sided UCLP. 5-Year-Old's index scores ranged from 1 (good) to 5 (poor). There was a higher proportion of patients getting good scores (1 and 2) in left UCLP (43%) compared to right UCLP (37%) but there was weak evidence for a difference (Adjusted summary odds ratio 1.27, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.87; P = .22). Whilst maxillary growth may be different for left versus right sided UCLP, definitive analysis requires older growth indices and arch forms.

Maxillofacial growth changes after maxillary protraction therapy in children with class III malocclusion: a dual control group retrospective study

PurposeTo investigate the balance between post-treatment effect and continued nature growth after maxillary protraction treatment in patients with skeletal class III malocclusion.Methods31 patients aged 8.79 ± 1.65 years with skeletal Class III malocclusion had been treated with maxillary protraction and the treatment lasted an average of 1.16 years. The average observation duration after treatment in the maxillary protraction group was 2.05 ± 0.39 years. In the control groups, a sample of 22 patients (9.64 ± 2.53 years) with untreated skeletal class III malocclusion and 24 patients (9.28 ± 0.96 years) with skeletal class I malocclusion were matched to the treatment group according to age, sex and observation period. The mean observation interval of the control groups was 2.39 ± 1.29 years in the class III group and 1.97 ± 0.49 years in the class I group.ResultsThe active orthopedic treatment effect showed a opposite trend to the natural craniomaxillofacial growth effect after treatment in many aspects. In the observation duration of treatment group, decrease in ANB, Wits appraisal and BAr-AAr were statistically significant compared to class I control group (p < 0.001), and there was a significant increase in NA-FH (P < 0.001) which was contrary to class III control group. Treatment group presented a significant increase in Gn-Co (P < 0.01) and Co-Go (P < 0.001), except for changes in the extent of the mandibular base (Pog-Go, P = 0.149) compared to class I control group. The vertical maxillomandibular skeletal variables (Gonial; MP-SN; MP-FH; Y-axis) in treatment group decreased significantly compared to those in class III control group (P < 0.01). U1-SN and L1-MP showed a significant increase, which was similar to the class I group (P > 0.05), and overjet decreased significantly relative to both of the two control groups (P < 0.05).ConclusionMaxillary protraction therapy led to stable outcomes in approximately 77.42% of children with Class III malocclusion approximately 2 years after treatment. Unfavorable skeletal changes were mainly due to the greater protrusion of the mandible but maxillary protraction did have a certain degree of postimpact on the mandibular base. Protraction therapy does not fundamentally change the mode of maxillary growth in Class III subjects except for the advancement of the maxilla. Craniomaxillofacial region tend to restabilize after treatment and lead to skeletal growth rotation and more dentoalveolar compensation.

Evaluating Dental Arch Relationships in Indonesian Patients with Operated Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Using Modified Huddart/Bodenham Index and Bauru-bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) Yardstick.

Patients with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate (CBCLP) have the most complex orofacial abnormalities despite its lowest incidence among cleft lip and palate (CLP) types. Impaired maxillary growth can result from surgical procedures in patients with CBCLP. This study evaluates dental arch relationships in Indonesian patients with CBCLP after undergoing CLP repair at Harapan Kita Children and Mother Hospital in Jakarta. Using the modified Huddart and Bodenham (MHB) index and Bauru bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) yardstick, three examiners assessed 17 study models in the 9-year age group and 13 study models in the 12-year age group, as well as two intraoral clinical photographs of two patients with CBCLP. The assessments were repeated three times within two weeks of each assessment time. Patients with operated CBCLP (aged 9 and 12 years) had edge-to-edge tooth relations, which were categorized as a mild crossbite or mild deviation, and only required orthodontic treatment according to the two specified indicators. The CLP repair protocol used at the Harapan Kita Hospital effectively manages CBCLP cases with satisfactory results, suggesting the effectiveness of the MHB index and Bauru-BCLP yardstick in assessing dental arch relationships in patients with operated CBCLP. Key words:Bilateral, cleft lip and palate, dental arch relationship, lip repair, palate repair.

Cephalometric changes in pharyngeal airway dimensions after functional treatment with twin block versus myobrace appliances in developing skeletal class II patients: a randomized clinical trial

BackgroundSeveral appliances have been used for correction of developing skeletal Class II, including different myofunctional appliances as Twin block (TB)as well as the new pre-fabricated Myobrace (MB) appliance. However, the effects of these devices on the pharyngeal airways have not been compared in the literature. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of two Class II correction appliances; TB and MB on the sagittal pharyngeal airway dimension (SPAD), including the nasopharyngeal airway area (NPAA), the oropharyngeal airway area (OPAA), and the laryngopharyngeal airway area (LPAA).MethodsThis is a two parallel arms randomized comparative clinical trial. Twenty-six children of 9–12 years with Skeletal Class II malocclusion due to mandibular deficiency and normal maxillary growth as confirmed by lateral cephalometric X-ray readings (ANB angle > 4° and SNB angle < 78) and Cervical vertebral maturational index (CVMI) 1 or 2 were randomly assigned into two equal groups. Group I: TB, Group II: MB (prefabricated functional appliance, Myofunctional Research Co., Australia). Lateral cephalograms were taken for all patients in both groups before treatment (T1) and after treatment (6 months later) (T2). The primary aim was to assess pre and post treatment changes in the SPAD in each group, and compare between the two study groups. The secondary aim was to evaluate the sagittal skeletal measurements such as the SNA, SNB, ANB, Wits appraisal, as well as vertical skeletal measurements represented by the Frankfurt-mandibular plane angle (FMA) measured pre- and post-treatment. The independent samples t-test was used to compare the two study groups, and the mean difference and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed. The paired samples t-test was used to compare various parameters between T1 and T2 within each group. The cutoff for significance was p-value < 0.05. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS for Windows (Version 26.0).ResultsBy Comparing changes in airway measurements within each group, it was found that NPAA, OPAA, and LPAA increased significantly after treatment within each group of MB and TB. TB group showed significantly higher mean difference (T2-T1) in both NPAA and OPAA than MB group with 28.39 (± 56.75) and 40.46 (± 52.16) respectively. The increase in LPAA values was not statistically significant at (T2-T1) between both groups. Regarding skeletal changes, there was a significant increase in the SNB values between T1 and T2 within each group with 2.82 (± 3.32) for MB group and 3.79 (± 3.06) for TB group Moreover, there was a significant decrease in the ANB values between T1 and T2 within each group by 2.42 (± 2.70) for MB group and 3.06 (± 1.14) for TB group. Similarly, there was a significant decrease in the ANB values between T1 and T2 within each group by -2.13 (± 0.62) for MB group and − 2.46 (± 0.72) for TB group. No significant differences were found between both groups in SNA, SNB, ANB and Wits appraisal at p = 0.06, p = 0.45, p = 0.43 and p = 0.22 respectively. FMA did not show significant difference between T1 and T2 within each group, nor showed a significant mean difference between both groups at T2-T1.ConclusionsTB was more effective than MB in improving the upper (NPAA) and middle (OPAA) airways, while no difference was found regarding the lower airway (LPAA). Both TB and MB reduced the severity of developing skeletal class II due to mandibular retrognathism by forward posturing of the mandible. Thus, patients with airway problems would benefit more from TB than MB.

Internal structural analysis of the nasomaxillary complex in patients with skeletal class III asymmetry: A study on asymmetry patterns.

To investigate the internal structure of the nasomaxillary complex, including the maxillary sinus, nasal cavity and nasal septum according to the facial asymmetry pattern and to evaluate its correlation with external maxillomandibular asymmetry in Class III patients based on cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) images. Facial asymmetry was analysed in a total of 100 Class III patients aged 16 years or older using CBCT scans. Patients were categorized into subgroups based on asymmetry pattern. Measurements of the nasomaxillary complex were obtained from the CBCT scans, including the volume and width of the maxillary sinuses and nasal cavities on deviated and non-deviated sides, as well as the displacement of the nasal septum. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the internal nasomaxillary variables within and between groups, and regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the correlation between facial asymmetry and the internal nasomaxillary variables. Group comparisons showed that there were no significant differences in the volume of the maxillary sinus and nasal cavity. However, the direction and extent of nasal septum deviation, as well as the width of the nasal cavity, varied depending on the maxillary asymmetry pattern. Regression analysis indicated a correlation between nasal septum deviation and the difference in maxillary height, while the difference in nasal cavity width was correlated with the difference in maxillary width. A comprehensive evaluation of the internal nasal anatomy is vital for understanding the intricate relationship between nasal structure and maxillary growth.

Alveolar Bone Grafting in Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: Impact of Timing on Palatal Shape.

Alveolar bone grafting (ABG) is a critical surgical intervention in patients with a cleft of the alveolus, aimed at reconstructing the alveolar ridge to facilitate proper eruption, periodontal support, and alignment of adjacent permanent teeth. The optimal timing for ABG remains debated, with late secondary ABG between the ages of 9 and 11 being widely adopted. This study compared the palatal shapes of 28 children at a mean age of 9.5 years (SD = 0.7) who underwent early secondary ABG at a mean age of 2.1 years (SD = 0.6) or 33 children at a mean age of 10.8 years (SD = 1.5) who underwent late secondary ABG at a mean age of 8.6 years (SD = 1.3) to 60 non-cleft controls at a mean age of 8.6 years (SD = 1.2). The palatal shapes were captured with 239 landmarks digitized on the palate on a digital model. Utilizing geometric morphometric methods, i.e., generalized Procrustes superimpositions, principal component analysis, and permutation tests, we assessed the impact of ABG timing on palatal morphology. The first five principal components (PCs) explained 64.1% of the total shape variability: PC1 = 26.1%; PC2 = 12%; PC3 = 11.9%; PC4 = 7.8%; and PC5 = 6.4%. The Procrustes distance between both cleft groups and the control group was more than twice as large as the Procrustes distance between the early ABG and late ABG groups. Nonetheless, all intergroup differences were statistically significant. Our findings suggest that early ABG has a limited negative effect on palatal shape, providing comparable outcomes to late ABG. The study highlights the potential suitability of early ABG, challenging conventional practices and encouraging further exploration into its long-term effects on maxillary growth.

Effects of endocrine disorders on maxillary and mandibular growth in Colombian children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo establish the influence of overweight/obesity, medicated hypothyroidism, and medicated non-syndromic hypogrowth on maxillary and mandibular growth.Materials and methodsThe relation between 10 craniofacial anthropometric measurements and hypothyroidism (n = 216), overweight/obesity (n = 108), and non-syndromic hypogrowth (n = 250) were evaluated in patients aged 1–19 years and a control group of healthy patients (n = 587). A subgroup analysis was performed at the peak growth in all groups.ResultsPatients with overweight/obesity and hypothyroidism showed increased craniofacial growth, while hypogrowth patients showed differences in zygomatic width and nasal base growth. Females with hypothyroidism and non-syndromic hypogrowth showed decreased head circumference at peak growth. Several anthropometric measurements were increased in patients with overweight/obesity, including head circumference. When all age groups were analyzed, overweight/obese and hypothyroidism patients showed increased zygomatic width while decreased hypogrowth. Overall, most craniofacial anthropometric measurements in overweight/obese patients were increased. Finally, the peak growth in males with hypothyroidism and subjects with non-syndromic hypogrowth was delayed compared to the control group (p < 0.05).ConclusionsChildren and adolescents with overweight/obesity and endocrine disorders showed alterations in craniofacial growth. Clinicians must be aware that the growth peak in these patients may be delayed when planning maxillary and mandibular orthopedic treatment.

A comparison of maxillofacial growth in Chinese children with isolated cleft palate treated with two different palatoplasty techniques without relaxing incisions: a preliminary study

ObjectiveTo assess the maxillofacial growth of patients with isolated cleft palate following the Sommerlad-Furlow modified technique and compare it with the effect of the Sommerlad technique.Study designA Retrospective Cohort Study.MethodsA total of 90 participants, 60 patients with non-syndromic isolated soft and hard cleft palate (ISHCP) underwent primary palatoplasty without relaxing incision (30 patients received the Sommerlad-Furlow modified (S-F) technique and 30 received Sommerlad (S) technique). While the other 30 were healthy noncleft participants with skeletal class I pattern (C group). All participants had lateral cephalometric radiographs at least 5 years old age. All the study variables were measured by using stable landmarks, including 11 linear and 9 angular variants.ResultsThe means age at collection of cephalograms were 6.03 ± 0.80 (5–7 yrs) in the S group, 5.96 ± 0.76 (5–7 yrs) in the S-F group, and 5.91 ± 0.87 (5–7 yrs) in the C group. Regarding cranial base, the results showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the three groups in S–N and S–N-Ba. The S group had a significantly shortest S-Ba than the S-F & C groups (P = 0.01), but there was no statistically significant difference between S-F and C groups (P = 0.80). Regarding skeletal maxillary growth, the S group had significantly shorter Co-A, S- PM and significantly less SNA angle than the C group (P = < 0.01). While there was no significant difference between S-F & C groups (P = 0.42). The S group had significantly more MP-SN inclination than the C group (P = < 0.01). Regarding skeletal mandibular growth, there were no statistically significant differences in all linear and angular mandibular measurements between the three groups, except Co-Gn of the S group had a significantly shorter length than the C group (P = 0.05). Regarding intermaxillary relation, the S-F group had no significant differences in Co-Gn—Co-A and ANB as compared with the C group. The S group had significantly less ANB angle than S-F & C groups (P = 0.01 & P = < 0.01). In addition, there were no significant differences in all angular occlusal measurements between the three groups.ConclusionAs a preliminary report, Sommerlad-Furlow modified technique showed that maxillary positioning in the face tended to be better, and the intermaxillary relationship was more satisfactory than that in Sommerlad technique when compared them in healthy noncleft participants.

Buccal Fat Pad in Primary and Secondary Cleft Palate Repair: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

To review the evidence supporting the use of buccal fat pad (BFP) in primary and secondary cleft palate repair and its short- and long- term clinical outcomes. Systematic review conducted by 2 independent reviewers following PRISMA guidelines. Articles were identified from three databases (Pubmed/Medline, Embase and Web of Science). Search terms included "cleft palate", "palatoplasty", "palate repair", "buccal fat pad". Use of BFP in primary and secondary cleft palatoplasty. Primary outcomes were immediate postoperative complications, postoperative fistula, and maxillary growth. Secondary outcomes were palatal length, speech, and donor site morbidity. Ninety-one reports were retrieved after excluding duplicates. Twenty-three studies were included (13 case series and 10 comparative studies). Overall level of evidence was low. Randomized and non-randomized studies had a high risk of bias. In primary palatoplasty, BFP was more frequently used filling lateral relaxing incisions(57.4%), or in the hard-soft palate junction and covering mucosal defects(30.1%). In these patients, post operative fistula incidence was 2.8%. Two studies found wider transverse maxillary dimensions after BFP use. No higher incidence of bleeding, infection, dehiscence, or flap necrosis was reported. In secondary palatoplasty, no recurrent fistulas were reported for patients undergoing BFP for fistula repair. BFP appears to be associated with a favorable impact in fistula prevention and management, as well as in transverse maxillary growth. However, there is a high heterogeneity among studies, high risk of bias and overall low quality of evidence. More high-quality research with long-term follow-up is warranted.

Changing the dynamics of alveolar molding using a modified single cantilever spring

Deviated premaxillary segment commonly seen in bilateral cleft lip and palate causes difficulty during surgical procedures. Modifications in the conventional feeding plate appliance design by incorporation of a single cantilever spring can enable shifting of the deviated premaxillary segment and facilitate alveolar molding. Thus reducing the tissue tension and in turn preventing the prospect of further scarring which can have severe detrimental effects on maxillary growth and as a result aid in achieving better surgical outcome on lip closure.This article presents a case of a 27 day old infant with a deviated premaxilla which was repositioned for better retraction using a modified cantilever spring design in the molding plate. Reduction in cleft gap while shifting of the premaxillary segment on the right side was seen after full time wear of only 5-6 weeks.

Development of Artificial Neural Network-Based Prediction Model for Evaluation of Maxillary Arch Growth in Children with Complete Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate.

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) are the most common congenital craniofacial deformities that can cause a variety of dental abnormalities in children. The purpose of this study was to predict the maxillary arch growth and to develop a neural network logistic regression model for both UCLP and non-UCLP individuals. This study utilizes a novel method incorporating many approaches, such as the bootstrap method, a multi-layer feed-forward neural network, and ordinal logistic regression. A dataset was created based on the following factors: socio-demographic characteristics such as age and gender, as well as cleft type and category of malocclusion associated with the cleft. Training data were used to create a model, whereas testing data were used to validate it. The study is separated into two phases: phase one involves the use of a multilayer neural network and phase two involves the use of an ordinal logistic regression model to analyze the underlying association between cleft and the factors chosen. The findings of the hybrid technique using ordinal logistic regression are discussed, where category acts as both a dependent variable and as the study's output. The ordinal logistic regression was used to classify the dependent variables into three categories. The suggested technique performs exceptionally well, as evidenced by a Predicted Mean Square Error (PMSE) of 2.03%. The outcome of the study suggests that there is a strong association between gender, age, and cleft. The difference in width and length of the maxillary arch in UCLP is mainly related to the severity of the cleft and facial growth pattern.

Effects of Diet Consistency on Rat Maxillary and Mandibular Growth within Three Generations-A Longitudinal CBCT Study.

In this study, wistar rats were used to examine the impact of diet consistency on maxillary and mandibular growth over three generations. In this investigation, a breeding sample of 60 female and 8 male wistar rats was used. Measuring was only performed on female animals. The first generation's primary breeding sample consisted of 20 female wistar rats that were 30 days old and 4 male rats that were also 30 days old; two subsequent generations were created from these animals. At the age of 100 days, CBCTs were collected of all male rats. Twenty-eight craniofacial landmarks were selected for the linear measurements on stl format extracted from the DICOM files. A Bonferroni test was performed for the statistical analysis. Means of measurements of all soft diet groups compared to corresponding measurements of the hard diet groups were significantly different. According to linear measurements, there was statistical difference on the maxillary measurements between the soft diet groups of the first and third generation, while the rest did not appear to have any statistical difference. There was significant difference for the mandibular dimensions only when the first generation soft diet group was compared with the third generation soft diet group. Food consistency has a significant impact on the growth and development of the maxilla and mandible. Soft diet habits may result in retrognathic mandible, and narrower maxilla.

Conventional Twin-Block Versus Cervical Headgear and Twin-Block Combination: Therapeutic Effects on the Craniofacial Structures in Growing Subjects.

To compare the short-term effects of the conventional twin-block (TB) appliance and the cervical headgear TB (CHG-TB) appliance on craniofacial structures. The retrospective controlled study examined lateral cephalograms taken from 46 growing subjects. Individuals were divided into two groups according to the treatment. Group I consisted of 15 individuals (9 girls, 6 boys, mean age: 12.34±1.23 years) treated with the TB appliance and Group II consisted of 16 individuals (9 girls, 7 boys) treated with the CHG-TB appliance (mean age: 12.50±1.30 years). To distinguish the treatment effects of these appliances on growth, a control group of 15 untreated individuals (9 girls, 6 boys, mean age: 11.82±1.16 years) was included from the archives. Significant improvements were found in the interdental and maxillo-mandibular measurements in the treatment groups (p<0.001). Significant differences were observed in the SNA, SN/PP, and SN/GoGn values in the CHG-TB group compared to other groups (p<0.05). The mandible showed a significant downward movement in both treatment groups compared with the control group (p<0.001), while the change in SNB angle was statistically significant only in the TB group compared to the control group (p<0.05). Lower incisors showed significant proclination only in the TB group (p<0.05). The CHG-TB appliance was found to be more effective in limiting maxillary growth and preventing lower incisor proclination compared with the TB appliance, whereas the TB appliance was more effective in anterior mandibular movement.

Speech Outcomes Audit for Unilateral Cleft lip and Palate After 2-Stage Palate Repair: Preliminary Results.

Primary cleft lip and palate surgeries can interfere with speech status, facial appearance, maxillary growth, and psychosocial and academic development. Therefore, different surgical protocols and techniques have been proposed, and adequate velopharyngeal function and speech is the main goal for the treatment success. The present study aimed to report preliminary speech results of the 2-stage palate repair of children with unilateral cleft lip and palate. One hundred seventy nonsyndromic patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate were included in this report, 35% males and 65% females, submitted to the 2-stage palatoplasty protocol, composed by lip, nasal ala, and hard palate repair at 3 to 6 m (stage 1) and soft palate repair at 12 to 18 m (stage 2). The target age range for speech recording was 5 to 10 years, and the speech material included repetition of Brazilian Portuguese sentences. These samples were obtained over 5 years and assessed by 3 of 14 experienced speech pathologists. When discordant, the majority rate was adopted. Average velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) rates were 19,5%, varying according to the soft palate technique, with better results when the Sommerlad technique was performed (VPD=11%), followed by Braithwaite (VPD=15%) and then Von Langenbeck (VPD=25%). Passive errors were observed in 32% and active errors in 25%. Speech results reflect the outcomes of an interdisciplinary team's work, where facial growth and nasolabial appearance must also be considered. Further analysis and a wider casuistic are recommended. Hence outcomes audit needs to be a permanent process, providing solid and updated evidence for optimal cleft care.

Effects of two flap palatoplasty versus furlow palatoplasty with buccal myomucosal flap on maxillary arch dimensions in patients with cleft palate at the primary dentition stage: a cohort study

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of two flap palatoplasty (TFP) versus Furlow palatoplasty with buccal myomucosal flap (FPBF) on maxillary arch dimensions in children at the primary dentition stage with cleft palate, in comparison to matching subjects without any craniofacial anomalies.Material and methodsThis study included 28 subjects with an age range of 5–6 years; 10 non-cleft subjects were included in the control group, 9 patients treated with TFP, and 9 patients treated with FPBF. For the included patients, the maxillary models were scanned using a desktop scanner to produce virtual models, and the maxillary dimension measurements were virtually completed. The produced measurements were compared between the 3 groups. Maxillary models of the 28 participants were evaluated.ResultsStatistically insignificant differences were detected between the 3 groups for arch symmetry measurements. Differences were detected in the inter-canine width between the 2 surgical groups and non-cleft group. Both arch length and posterior palatal depth significantly differ while comparing the TFP to the control group, with no differences between FPBF and the non-cleft group.ConclusionFurlow palatoplasty with buccal myomucosal flap might be considered a better surgical option than two flap palatoplasty for patients with cleft palate while evaluating maxillary arch dimensions at the primary dentition stage as a surgical outcome.Clinical relevanceThis study gives insight into the surgical technique that has limited effect on the maxillary growth and dental arch dimension. Therefore, it decreases the need for orthodontic treatment and orthognathic surgery.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov (NCT05405738).

A Systematic Review: Early Simultaneous Vomer Flap with Primary Cleft Lip Repair, Does it Bring More Benefits?

Vomer flap is a technique to close cleft lip and palate. This technique is a simple procedure that has many benefits. However, the vomer flap's application together with primary lip closure is still questionable. To find out whether the vomer flap's application in primary cleft lip repair can provide significant benefits. A systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA methodology has been licensed in PROSPERO databases (CRD42023399487). A comprehensive search was set out, utilizing eight data sources up to March 2023. Both cohort studies and randomized control trials regarding the use of vomer flaps performed concurrently with cleft lip repair in children up to six months old. This article involved 8 studies involving 542 patients who met the inclusion criteria, consisting of 6 retrospective cohort studies, 1 RCT study, and 1 prospective cohort study. Vomer flaps provide a reduction in palatal cleft distance of 3-5 mm, a relatively small number of fistulas (0-4%), improvement of velopharyngeal function (nasal tone and nasal emission), maximal development of the maxilla although it is still controversial. The vomer flap's application in primary cleft lip repair provides many advantages, such as reduced palatal and alveolar clefts, decreased risk of oronasal fistula, increased velopharyngeal function, and increased maxillary growth. It is reliable for the management of cleft lip and palate.

Comparison of Different Types of Palatal Expanders: Scoping Review.

We chose studies that compared effects determined by palatal expansion using a rapid palatal expander, expander on palatal screws, and leaf expander. Reports assessed for eligibility are 26 and the reports excluded were 11. A final number of 15 studies were included in the review for qualitative analysis. Clinically and radiographically, the outcomes are similar to those obtained with RME and SME appliances; Therefore, it might be a useful treatment choice as an alternative to RME/SME equipment in cases of poor patient compliance or specific situations. Finally, all of the devices studied produce meaningful skeletal growth of the palate. The use of skeletally anchored devices does, without a doubt, promote larger and more successful growth in adolescent patients.