RESUMO
Secondary bone grafting in the alveolar cleft has proven effective in stabilizing the maxillary segments, providing continuity of the maxillary arch and facilitating the canine eruption into the proper position. The purpose of this study is to longitudinally evaluate the treatment results of secondary iliac bone grafting in 40 alveolar cleft patients with an observation period of more than 12 months. Interdental alveolar cleft height was measured in conventional dental radiographs taken no more than 1 month preoperatively, following the completion of all orthodontic expansion, using ratio of the adjacent tooth root and the narrowest point of cleft height. And then we measured the bone resorption rates in 1, 3, 6, and 12 postoperative months, respectively. There was significant positive correlation between presurgical alveolar cleft height and postoperative bone resorption rate. But there was not significant correlation between presurgical alveolar height and the age at operation. The overall success rate for achieving bony bridge across the cleft was 95%. The maximal bone resorption occured in 1 month after operation. In case that the secondary iliac bone graft was performed at the patient's pre-eruption stage of canine, 89% of the patient's canine erupted in 12 months after operation.