Morphologic changes of nasopharynx after Le Fort I osteotomy for maxillary advancement

Cephalometric study of patients with cleft palate

Abstract

To study the effects of maxillary advencement surgery, morphological changes were evaluated on the basis preoperative and postoperative cephalograms at rest position in 11 patients with maxillary hypoplasia associated with cleft palate (cleft palate group) and were compared with those in 11 patients with maxillary hypoplasia without cleft palate (control group).
1. The amount of advancement in the cleft palate group (4.6±1.4mm) did not significantly differ from that in the control group (5.1±1.0mm).
2. The length of the soft palate (PNS-Uv) increased slightly in both groups; however, the mean difference between before and after surgery, in the cleft palate group (2.8mm) was slightly but not significantly less than that in the control group (3.9mm).
3. The depth of the pharynx increased in both groups after surgery. There was a significant difference between the control group (5.5mm) and the cleft palate group (2.9mm).
4. The inclined angle of the soft palate (∠ANS-PNS-Uv) increased in almost all patients in both groups (5.0 degrees in the cleft palate group and 5.8 degrees in the control group).
5. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the change in the shortest distance between the soft palate and the posterior pharyngeal wall after surgery (-0.7mm in the cleft palate group and -0.6mm in the control group).