A New Classification System for Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Infants to assist Presurgical Infant Orthopedics

Abstract

The proposed advantages of pre-surgical naso-alveolar moulding (PNAM) are easy primary lip repair which heals under minimum tension reducing the scar formation and improving the aesthetic results in addition to reshaping of alar cartilage and improvement of nasal symmetry.However, the anatomy and alveolar morphology varies for each cleft child; the procedure for PNAM differs accordingly. In an attempt to categorize unilateral cleft lip and palate cases as per anatomical variations, a new classification system has been proposed. This classification aims to give an insight in unilateral cleft morphology based on which modification in PNAM procedure could be done.