Sagittal maxillary growth pattern in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients with unrepaired cleft palate

The objective of the study was to examine the sagittal maxillary growth pattern during the mixed and permanent dentition in unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) patients with unrepaired cleft palate. A total of 30 nonsyndromic UCLP patients with unrepaired cleft palate were included, 15 of whom were in mixed dentition and 15 in permanent dentition.Cephalograms were analyzed and compared in the patients with UCLP who have operatively undergone repair with both the lip and palate as well as normal subjects. The UCLP patients with unrepaired cleft palate in mixed dentition showed decreased anterior-posterior length of the maxilla. The UCLP patients with unrepaired cleft palate in permanent dentition demonstrated an almost normal maxillary growth. The operated-on patients both in mixed and permanent dentitions showed maxillary retrusion as well as decreased maxillary length. There appears that there may be the potential normal maxillary growth in UCLP patients, and early surgical repair of the cleft palate may affect sagittal maxillary growth pattern in patients with cleft.