The Influence of Surgery and Orthopedic Treatment on Maxillofacial Growth and Maxillary Arch Development in Patients Treated for Orofacial Clefts

Abstract

This paper describes maxillofacial growth and dental arch development in relation to different orthodontic and surgical interventions utilized in the management of orofacial clefts. It addresses presurgical orthopedic treatment in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate, primary periosteoplasty, primary bone grafting, lip surgery, palatal surgery, pharyngeal flap surgery, maxillary protraction, and early secondary bone grafting. Difficulties associated with synthesizing previously published data and suggestions for approaching still unanswered questions in the next millennium are presented.