The Craniofacial Morphology in Adult Patients with Unoperated Isolated Cleft Palate

Abstract

Objective: To address the effect of intrinsic factors on craniofacial growth by analyzing the craniofacial morphology of unoperated isolated cleft palate in Chinese adult. Materials and Methods: This study included 37 nonsyndromic isolated cleft palate and 39 age and gender matched non-clefts. Twenty-six cephalometric measurements were employed to evaluate the facial morphology. Independent samples T test and Mann-Whitney U were used for comparison. Significant difference was defined at 95% level. Results: Data from this study showed patients with unoperated isolated cleft palate have a reduced maxillary sagittal length (ANS-PMP, A-PMP, P<0.05), a smaller ANB angle (ANB, P<0.05) and a retrusive ANS point (S-N-ANS, P<0.05; Ba-N-ANS, P<0.05). Measurements descripted position of maxilla (S-Ptm, P>0.05), depth of bony pharynx (Ba-PMP, P>0.05), anterior and posterior maxillary height (N-ANS, P>0.05; R-PMP, P>0.05) and mandible morphology (including linear measurements and angle measurements) did not show any significant difference between case and control groups. Conclusions: Patients with isolated cleft palate were characterized by maxillary retrusion. Mandible morphology and cranial basal morphology in isolated cleft palate showed no significant difference with nonclefts. Patients with isolated cleft palate are more vulnerable to cross bite than nonclefts. Intrinsic deficiencies did detrimental effect on maxilla sagittal length, but did no detrimental effect on maxilla position, mandible size and position.