Long Term Maxillary Growth Following Primary Bone Grafting in Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

Abstract

The question of growth attenuation of the maxillary complex arises in connection with primary osteoplasty procedure. The deficiencies associated with the development of the jaws in unilateral complete cleft lip and palate (UCLP) children is an ongoing problem in terms of growth inhibition and orthodontic treatment. Retardation of growth can be attributed to intrinsic cleft factors and/or associated with the treatment of the cleft condition. In this study, the extent of such deficiency, if any, was investigated by assessing arch length, arch width, arch symmetry and inter-arch harmony. Seventeen orthodontic casts of UCLP children (mean age 7 years 11 months) were obtained. All were treated with a primary osteoplasty at James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children at Indianapolis, Indiana. The sample was compared to an age and sex matched non-cleft control group (n=38). None of the subjects had undergone orthodontic treatment beyond infant maxillary orthopedics. Anatomic landmarks were identified and digitized by means of optical electronics. The data were automatically fed into a computer which executed preprogrammed data manipulation algorithms. Significant (p<0.05) inhibition of growth has taken place in the maxillary arches of the UCLP group in both anteroposterior and transverse directions. lntercanine width (ICW) was reduced on average by 7.6 mm (23.6 percent) while the intermolar width (IMW) was shortened by 3.9 mm (7.8 percent). Sagittal growth was retarded by 5.5 mm (17.4 percent). A gradient of "normalization" originating at a point of surgical insult was observed anteroposteriorly in the transverse maxillary dimension. In the mandible, ICW was retarded by 2.0 mm (7.8 percent) while IMW and A-P growth vectors were not significantly affected. This investigation also revealed significant (p = 0.0001) differences in the size of the maxillary anterior palatal area (cleft mean = 83.5 mm2, non-cleft mean = 133.9 mm2). These findings lead to the conclusion that primary osteoplasty may contribute to maxillary growth attenuation with concomitant mandibular compensatory growth patterns.