Abstract
Fifty-two patients with cleft palate who underwent the palatoplasty without elevation of the mucoperiosteal flap on the cleft side, were investigated on velopharyngeal function and articulation.
The subjects included thirteen children with unilateral cleft lip and palate, ten with ha rd and soft palate, and twenty-nine with soft palate only.
Those operations were performed betwe en the ages of 12 and 36 months after birth by several plastic surgeons.
The velopharyngeal function was measured acoustically, aerodynamically, and studied by fiberoptic and videoradiographic observation, to be graded as competence, slight incompetence, and incompetence.
The results were: 48 patients (92.4%) with competence,2 (3.8%) with slight incompetenc e, and 2 (3.8%) with incompetence. No significant asymmetrical movements of the velum were observed in any patient under fiberoptic observation of the nasopharynx.
Articulation disorders were found in 10 cases of the 52 patients (19.1%). Immature articulation was recognized in 5 patients (9.6%), palatalized articulation in 2 (3.8%), omission in 2 (3.8%), and faulty laryngeal articulation in one (1.9%).
