Outcome of bone grafting in relation to cleft width in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between cleft width and the residual amount of bone after bone grafting in 53 unilateral cleft lip and palate patients. The fate of the bone graft was determined by the residual amount of bone calculated from computed tomography scans taken immediately after surgery and 1 year postoperatively. Initial cleft width was measured on the computed tomography scans taken immediately after bone grafting. An average cleft width of 6.4 mm (range 3.0-12.2 mm) was found. The average amount of residual bone in the cleft area after 1 year was 64% of the initial bone graft. Linear regression analysis showed that a significant correlation ( r = −0.29, P = .04) was found for cleft width in relation to the percentage of residual bone after 1 year. The regression analysis indicates that a relation between cleft width and the fate of the bone graft exists. Bone grafts in wider clefts are more prone to resorption than those in more narrow ones.