Abstract
In this paper, we present the results of presurgical orthopedic treatment for patients with cleft lip and alveolus in Kanagawa Children's Medical Center. Five infants with unilateral cleft lip and alveolus were included in this study.
In these patients, we used an acrylic plate mimicking the normal alveolar form with adhesive paste or slim adhesive tapes fixed from, the hook to the cheeks.
The average age at insertion of the plate was 22 days of age, and average age at removal of the plate was 102 days of age. The average term of presurgical orthopedic treatment was 80 days.
The cleft width was reduced significantly, and the position of the margin on both segments improved vertically. Mesiorotation of the major segment and laterorotation of the minor segment were recorded.
In a patient without presurgical orthopedic treatment, the deformity of the major segment and the cleft width in the alveolus were not decreased.
In our procedure, morphology of alveolus altered to the normal form, thus facilitating primary gingivoperiosteoplasty at the time of lip repair.
