Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES: To comprehensively evaluate the correlations between the severity of oral clefts at birth and the treatment outcomes during pre-adolescence in patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (CUCLP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Records of 21 consecutive patients with CUCLP from a cleft/craniofacial centre were obtained. All subjects were treated with nasoalveolar moulding, followed by cheiloplasty and palatoplasty. The severity was measured by anterior cleft width, anterior and posterior arch width, arch circumference and arch length on scanned plaster models taken after birth. Craniofacial morphology, dental arch relationship and nasolabial aesthetics were assessed with cephalometric measurements, GOSLON score and Asher-McDade rating (AMR), respectively. Pearson and Spearman's rank correlation tests were performed to determine correlations between initial severity parameters and the treatment outcomes. RESULTS: Pearson correlation showed negative correlations between posterior arch width at birth and maxillary position (SNA; r = -0.573, p < 0.01), mandibular position (SNB; r = -0.452, p < 0.05) and nasal prominence (N'-UNT/SN; r = -0.478, p < 0.05). A positive correlation was also found between posterior arch width at birth and maxillary inclination (SN/ANS-PNS; r = 0.454, p < 0.05). The ratio between anterior cleft width to arch length (G-L/Arch Length) demonstrated negative correlations with soft tissue facial height ratio (N'-Sn/Sn-Me'; r = -0.470, p < 0.05) and soft tissue vertical proportions (N'-Sn/N'-Gn'; r = -0.495, p < 0.05). Spearman's rank tests revealed no significant correlation between the initial severity parameters and GOSLON score and AMR. CONCLUSIONS: The initial severity parameters were correlated with some craniofacial characteristics but not with dental arch relationships and nasolabial aesthetics during pre-adolescence.