Intercenter Comparison of Treatment Outcome in Patients with Complete Unilateral and Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: Analysis of Craniofacial Form

Background: Several treatment protocols exist for the management of patients with complete unilateral (CUCLP) and bilateral (CBCLP) cleft lip and palate, and little evidence exists on comparison of their outcomes. Objectives: To compare craniofacial morphology among individuals with CUCLP and CBCLP treated at different North American centers. Methods: Lateral cephalograms of 148 individuals with repaired CUCLP (average age = 8y 8m) and 93 individuals with repaired CBCLP (average age = 8y 10m) were analyzed. The group means for the different centers per cephalometric measurement evaluated (16 angular, 7 linear, and 2 ratio), were compared using ANOVA. Results: For both the CUCLP and CBCLP samples, the most significant differences were observed in the sagittal maxillary prominence. The center that performed primary alveolar bone grafting consistently showed the lowest maxillary prominence. Conclusions: Significant differences in craniofacial morphology, specifically maxillary prominence, exist among patients with CUCLP and CBCLP treated at different North American centers.MAS