2003 Volume 28 Issue 3 Pages 203-211
This study investigated the changes of soft tissue profile in the nose following Le Fort I osteotomy in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients. The subjects were 13 unilateral cleft lip and palate patients (9 females and 4 males) who underwent Le Fort I osteotomy (Cleft group). The Control group was skeletal Class III patients (19 females) who underwent two-jaw surgery without cleft lip and palate. For each patient, lateral cephalograms, taken preoperatively a nd postoperatively, were traced and superimposed, and linear and angular measurements were obtained. The alinasal width was measured on frontal facial photographs taken at pre- and post-operative stages.
The results were as follows: 1. The maxilla of the Cleft g roup was in a more backward position than that of the Control group at the pre-operative stage.2. Dorsal nasal angle ( /1 ) of the Cleft group was smaller than that of the Control group.3. Basal nasal angle ( /2 ) of the Cleft group was larger than that of the Control g roup.4. Apex nasal angle ( /3 ) of the Cleft group was smaller than that of the Control group.5. The rate of horizontal subnasal changes to horizontal maxilla movement in the Cleft group was larger than that in the Control group.6. Alinasal width of the Cleft group wa s larger than that of the Control group in the preoperative stage, but the increment of alinasal width of the Cleft group after surgery was smaller than that of the Control group.
