Abstract
In patients who undergo two-stage palatoplasty of cleft lip and palate, the residual hard palate cleft gradually narrows after velar closure. Depending on the type, the cleft borders may come close together or remain slightly apart. In this study, the residual hard palate cleft after veloplasty, performed according to the modified Widmaier technique described by Perko, was examined for changes by using serial maxillary casts obtained from 53 patients one year and six months to six years of age. The results were as follows:
1. The residual cleft spontaneously narrowed until four years of age and showed no statistically significant changes there after.
2. The anterior cleft width was reduced to 15% and 55% of that at the velar closure in unilateral and bilateral cleft alveolus and palate, respectively. On the other hand, the posterior cleft width was reduced to 50% in both cleft types.
3. In two patients with unil ateral cleft alveolus and palate, the cleft borders came into contact and apparently disappeared.
4. As the maxillary alveolar width was not reduced, the narrowing of the hard palate cleft was thought to be due to growth of the palatal shelves in the medial direction.
5. A difference in attachment of the nasal septum to the maxil lary segments had no influence on the narrowing of the hard palate cleft.
