Adult skeletal profile in isolated cleft palate: a comparison of the von Langenbeck and Wardill procedures for primary repair of the palate

• Sixty-four adult patients operated on for isolated cleft palate were evaluated with regard to facial skeletal morphology using conventional radio-cephalometry. Dental occlusion was assessed clinically. Forty-two had had a von Langenbeck repair at the age of 7 months and 22 a Wardill repair at 18 months. The mean error of the method was 0.7 degree for angular, and 0.9 mm for linear, measurements. The group with clefts had less maxillary prognathism (s-n-ss), more maxillary inclination (NSL/NL), more retroclined lower incisors (ILI/ML), and shorter total and upper facial heights (n-gn, n-sp) compared with the reference group. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate differences between the two treatment regimens. Explanatory variables in addition to surgical technique were sex, severity of cleft, and presence of a velopharyngeal flap. Only one variable, lower incisor inclination (ILI/ML), was different for the two regimens. Ten (24%) in the von Langenbeck group had a lateral cross-bite compared with one (5%) in the Wardill group. Other variables in a multivariate regression analysis were affected by sex and severity of cleft to various degrees. This study showed no obvious differences in facial skeletal morphology that could be attributed to surgical technique. Factors other than technique, including sex, age, and severity of cleft merit attention.

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MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kirurgi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Surgery (hsv//eng)

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