The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of maxillary growth of patients with complete bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) treated by twostage palatal repair combined with a Hotz's plate.
The subjects were 26 BCLP patients from 5 to 12 years of age who had received two-stage palatal repair combined with a Hotz's plate (TSPR). Serial maxillary casts were used to analyze and compare with those of 34 BCLP treated by one-stage palatal repair (OSPR), and 24 normal children without any clefts (NC).
The results were as follows:
1. The length and width of the maxillary arch in the TSPR group were the same as for the NC group in patients from 5 to 6 years of age (before hard palate closure).
2. From 7 to 12 years of age (after hard palate closure), the length of the maxillary arch grew gradually in the TSPR group, just like in the NC group. The maxillary width tended to be slightly smaller in the TSPR group than in the NC group. On the other hand, the incidence of cross bite in lateral dentition was lower in the TSPR group than in the OSPR group.
It was concluded that two-stage palatal repair combined with a Hotz's plate was effective for maxillary growth in bilateral cleft lip and palate patients.
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