Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal

It was hypothesized that, through a repetitive weekly protocol of Alternate Rapid Maxillary Expansions and Constrictions (Alt-RAMEC), the maxilla in cleft patients could be protracted more effectively than with a single course of rapid maxillary expansion (RME).

Twenty-six consecutive unilateral cleft lip and palate patients at the age of mixed dentition were included in this prospective clinical study. The rapid maxillary expansion group included the first 16 consecutive patients undergoing 1 week of rapid maxillary expansion (1 mm/day) followed by 5 months, 3 weeks of maxillary protraction. The Alternate Rapid Maxillary Expansions and Constrictions group included the next 10 consecutive patients undergoing 9 weeks of Alternate Rapid Maxillary Expansions and Constrictions followed by 3 months, 3 weeks of maxillary protraction. Daily activation of the weekly expansion or constriction was 1.0 mm. Two-hinged expanders and intraoral maxillary protraction springs were used in both groups. Treatment results were evaluated cephalometrically.

The amount of maxillary anterior displacement by the 2-hinged expander in the Alternate Rapid Maxillary Expansions and Constrictions group was 3.0 ± 0.9 mm at A point, significantly greater than the 1.6 ± 1.0 mm in the rapid maxillary expansion group. The amount of maxillary advancement with intraoral protraction springs in the Alternate Rapid Maxillary Expansions and Constrictions group was 2.9 ± 1.9 mm at A point, significantly greater than the 0.9 ± 1.1 mm in the rapid maxillary expansion group. The overall amount of maxillary advancement in the Alternate Rapid Maxillary Expansions and Constrictions group was 5.8 ± 2.3 mm at A point. This result remained stable, without significant relapse after 2 years.

Maxillary protraction using the 2-hinged expander, a repetitive weekly protocol of Alternate Rapid Maxillary Expansions and Constrictions, and intraoral protraction springs is most effective, with stable results at 2-year follow-up.

A meta-analysis was performed to examine the association among maternal cigarette smoking, infant genotype at the Taq1 site in the transforming growth factor α (TGFA) locus, and risk of nonsyndromic oral clefts, both cleft palate (CP) and cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P).

Five published case-control studies were included in the meta-analyis. Pooled Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed. Gene-environment interaction was also assessed by using the pooled data in a case-only analysis and polytomous logistic regression.

Among nonsmoking mothers, there was no evidence of any increased risk for CP if the infant carried the TGFA Taq1 C2 allele. If the mother reported smoking, however, there was an overall increased risk for CP if the infant carried the C2 allele (OR_smokers = 1.95; 95% CI = 1.22 to 3.10). TGFA genotype did not increase risk to CL/P, regardless of maternal smoking status. Polytomous logistic regression revealed a significant overall smoking effect for CL/P (OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.33 to 2.02) and CP (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.06 to 1.90).

While maternal smoking was a consistent risk factor for both CL/P and CP across all studies, the suggestive evidence for gene-environment interaction between the infant's genotype at the Taq1 marker in TGFA and maternal smoking was limited to CP. Furthermore, evidence for such gene-environment interaction was strongest in a case-control study drawn from a birth defect registry where infants with non-cleft defects served as controls.

Comparison of global versus landmark analyses of facial asymmetry using three-dimensional photogrammetry to establish a precise method for evaluating facial asymmetry.

The landmark-based approach utilized anthropometric data points. Our global approach involved registration of mirror images, independent of a midplane, to calculate a root mean square (RMS) value. We analyzed precision and technical and operator error of both methods.

Three hundred fifty adults participated in this study.

We found that the global method has better precision and repeatability with a significantly lower error rate than the landmark-based method. In adults, the average RMS was 0.6253 mm with a standard deviation of 0.16.

Our facial asymmetry measurement is more accurate than landmark-based measurements. This method is quick, reliable, and results in generation of a RMS score and a corresponding color-coded facial map that highlights regions of higher and lower asymmetry. This method may be used as a screening tool for asymmetry in both the clinical and research settings.

The aims of this retrospective study were to evaluate the volumetric outcome of mandibular symphyseal bone graft in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate by estimating the bone fill 1-year postoperatively on cone beam computed tomography. The outcome was assessed in relation to the (1) root development stage of the cleft side canine, (2) presence/absence of a cleft side lateral incisor, and (3) volume size of the preoperative cleft defect.

The alveolar bone defect volume of 32 consecutive unilateral cleft lip and palate patients aged 8 years 1 month to 11 years 11 months was evaluated using a recently defined and standardized protocol. The outcome was calculated as the percentage of bone fill using the formula (VOLpre - VOLpost) / VOLpre) x 100.

The preoperative mean alveolar cleft volume was 934 mm³, and the average percentage bone fill was 87%. There was no significant difference between bone fill and root developmental stage of the cleft-side canine ( P = .882) nor presence/absence of the cleft side lateral incisor ( P = .803). The size of the cleft defect did not correlate with the bone fill ( r = .03, P = .84).

Secondary alveolar bone grafting with mandibular symphyseal bone graft in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate is an attractive procedure assessed from the volumetric outcome using cone beam computed tomography. The 1-year average bone fill of 87% was not significantly influenced by root development stage of the cleft-side canine, presence or the absence of a cleft side lateral incisor, or size of the alveolar defect.

Secondary bone grafting plays an important role in the dental rehabilitation of patients with clefts of the lip, alveolus, and palate. A major complication of this surgical technique is resorption of the grafted bone transplant. Conventional two-dimensional radiographs are often inconclusive and do not demonstrate the true deficit. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the amount and exact location of bone loss on the basis of three-dimensional models over a period of 3 years.

Twenty-four patients with unilateral cleft palate were included in this prospective study. Axial computed tomography scans of all patients were taken immediately preoperatively, and 1, 2, and 3 years postoperatively. Volumetric analysis was performed on three-dimensional models of the cleft defects and the bone bridges using three-dimensional computed tomography.

All patients were treated by secondary alveolar bone grafting prior to eruption of the permanent canine.

Extensive bone resorption was found in the bucco-palatal dimension of the alveolar portion of the transplant. The success rate of secondary bone grafting was high in cases of rapid orthodontic gap closures. The mean bone loss in the first year after surgery was 49.5%. The transplants remained almost constant in the following 2 years.

Radiographic scales based on orthopantomography only evaluate the vertical dimension of the transplants. This study, however, showed that bone resorption in the transversal dimension is clearly underestimated with conventional two-dimensional radiographs.

Allele 677C→T trong gen 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) đã được chỉ ra có liên quan đến nguyên nhân gây ra môi và khẩu cái bị hở không hội chứng (CL/P). Nghiên cứu này là một nghiên cứu liên kết dựa trên gia đình về đa hình MTHFR.

Chúng tôi đã khảo sát 181 bệnh nhân có CL/P có nguồn gốc từ châu Âu trung tâm cùng với cha mẹ của họ về biến thể này.

Kiểm định mất cân bằng truyền tải (TDT) không xác nhận mối liên hệ giữa đa hình MTHFR 677C→T và CL/P không hội chứng như đã được đề xuất trước đó (p = .36). Khi so sánh con cái của những bà mẹ có sử dụng folate trong thời gian xung quanh thụ thai với những bà mẹ không dùng, không phát hiện sự khác biệt có ý nghĩa thống kê (p = .708).

Dữ liệu của chúng tôi cho thấy rằng đa hình MTHFR 677C→T không đóng góp đáng kể vào sự xuất hiện của CL/P ở người dân châu Âu trung tâm.