Maturation State of Cervical Vertebrae Bone in a Colombian Population with or without Cleft Lip and Palate

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the state of bone maturation in a Colombian population with and without cleft lip palate (CLP), using cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) analysis. Methods: A previously calibrated examiner (kappa = 0.76) evaluated the CVM of 145 7-to-18-year-old individuals with and without CLP through lateral radiographs. 73 patients had CLP and 72 did not have the condition. Descriptive and inferential (chi2) statistical analyses were performed to the data (alpha = 0.05). Results: The 7-to-9-year-old group had the highest percentage of cervical vertebras in stage CS1 and none in stages CS5 and CS6. Patients in the group of 10-12 years of age showed the highest frequency in stage CS4 and none in CS6. The 13-15 year olds had the highest proportion in CS4. Among the 16-to-18-year-old patients, the highest percentage was found in stage CS5. When comparing the cervical vertebral development between the two groups, there were no significant differences (p = 0.8). Conclusion: The state of bone maturation in individuals with and without CLP showed similar results when analyzed regarding CVM in lateral radiographies. There was no evidence of earlier maturation in the 7-to-9-year-old patients. The highest level of growth was shown at ages 10-15 (CS3, CS4).