Association Between Subjective and Objective Measures of Lip Form and Function: An Exploratory Analysis

Objective: In patients with cleft lip and palate, the aims of this study were to generate objective measures of different attributes of lip movement and to ex-plore the utility of these objective measures by examining the association be-tween examiners ’ subjective assessments with the objective measures. Patients and Participants: Thirteen patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate with varying degrees of cleft scar severity were selected. All patients had a previously repaired complete unilateral cleft lip and palate. Interventions: Photographs and videotape recordings were made of the pa-tients with cleft at rest and during smiling. Measurements of lip movement were obtained by means of a motion analysis system. Main Outcome Measures: The study sought to obtain rankings of cleft scar severity and impairment on a 6-point Likert scale by a lay and professional panel and measurements of displacement, asymmetry, speed, and velocity of upper lip during smiling. Results: Displacement was the most consistent and valid objective mea