Prepubertal midface growth in unilateral cleft lip and palate following alveolar molding and gingivoperiosteoplasty.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the long-term effect of nasoalveolar molding and gingivoperiosteoplasty (modified Millard type) on midface growth at prepuberty.

PROCEDURES: In this retrospective study, 20 consecutive patients with a history of complete unilateral cleft lip and palate were evaluated. Ten patients had nasoalveolar molding and gingivoperiosteoplasty performed at lip closure; 10 control patients had nasoalveolar molding but no gingivoperiosteoplasty because of late start in treatment or poor compliance. A single surgeon (C.B.C.) performed all surgical procedures. Standardized lateral cephalometric radiographs were evaluated at two time periods: T1 at pre-bone-grafting age and T2 at prepuberty age. Superimposition and cephalometric analysis were undertaken to investigate the two groups. Two cephalometric reference planes, sella-nasion and basion-nasion, were used to assess the vertical and sagittal relations of the midface (ANS-PNS). The reference landmarks were procrustes fitted. The mean location and variance of ANS and PNS landmarks were computed. All results were analyzed by permutation test.

RESULTS: No significant difference in mean location or variance of ANS-PNS in both vertical and sagittal planes at both T1 and T2 periods were found between the two groups (p > .05).

CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that midface growth in sagittal or vertical planes (up to the age of 9 to 13 years) were not affected by presurgical alveolar molding and gingivoperiosteoplasty (Millard type).