A comprehensive management protocol to treat cleft maxillary hypoplasia

Maxillary hypoplasia is the most commonly encountered secondary deformity as a result of cleft lip and palate with a reported incidence of about 15-50%(Liao YF, Mars M 2005).The reasons understood for this hypoplasia are twofold, firstly that the cleft maxilla ’s intrinsic potential of growth is less due to the developmental deficiency. Secondly, the iatrogenic factor created due to the surgical repair of cleft lip and palate causes scarring which inhibits the normal growth of the maxilla (Ross 1987).Due to the class III malocclusion that develops in th ese patients, treatment in some form or other is required to restore facial aesthetics and function.
Source: Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Source Type: research