RESUMO
Objective@#The cadaveric specimens stained with iodine-potassium iodide can show the fine structure of muscles by Micro-CT scanning. A specimen with cleft palate was scanned using this technique to explore the relationship between the muscle fibers of pharyngeal muscles in order to guide the muscle reconstruction in cleft palate repair, so as to understand the lingual pathology secondary to cleft palate.@*Methods@#One unclaimed 28-week aborted stillbirth, diagnosed as Ⅱ-degree cleft palate, was dissected.The anatomic structure between orbital floor plane and mouth bottom plane was saved, and soaked in 4% for maldehyde for 8 hours. Thereafter, the subject was soaked in 3.75% iodine-potassium iodide for 7 days for staining. The stained specimens were scanned with Micro-CT. The muscle fibers were drawn in the exported DICOM images, for three-dimensional muscle reconstruction.@*Results@#The main muscles of velopharynx were located in the tomographic image and the three-dimensional reconstructed model, including: the levator muscle of palatine velum, the tensor velipalatini, the palatopharyngeus muscle, the palatoglossus muscle, and the upper part of the superior pharyngeal constrictor. Some local anatomical features of the muscles were also found: (1)The tensor velipalatini has a branch ended at the lateral pharyngeal wall.(2)The superior pharyngeal constrictor has multiple connections with the levator muscle of palatine velum, the tensor velipalatini, the palatopharyngeus muscle.(3)There was no obvious muscle fiber crossing between the internal muscles of the cleft palate. The muscle of uvula was not found either.@*Conclusions@#With the application of high-resolution Micro-CT technology, new branches of pharyngeal muscles and crossings of muscles can be recognized. In the cleft palate specimen, the main functional muscles of pharyngeal are mainly associated with superior pharyngeal constrictor. The muscles in the palate and the pharynx are interrelated and form a three-dimensional " velopharyngeal muscle complex" .