Treatment of patients with cleft lip, alveolus and palate--a short outline of history and current interdisciplinary treatment approaches.

Clefts of lip, alveolus and palate have been known for a long time. First tangible evidence of surgical therapy in terms of cheiloplasty, however, does not date further back than the 4th century after Christ. It was Werner Hagedorn from Magdeburg who laid the foundations of geometrical anatomical surgical lip repair in 1884. The procedures designed by LeMesurier, Tennison, Randall or Millard in the 1950s, and by Pfeifer in 1970 are part of today's cleft therapy applied by the different schools of surgery.

Functional 3-D analysis of patients with unilateral cleft of lip, alveolus and palate (UCLAP) following lip repair.

INTRODUCTION: Particular importance is attached to lip repair cleft surgery, as numerous functional and aesthetic aspects have to be taken into account simultaneously. Spatial assessment of function and depiction of dynamic deviations is reasonable for describing surgical outcome in addition to long standing static analysis. This study aimed at 3D analysis of the oral area after reconstruction in patients with unilateral cleft lip, alveolus and palate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twelve patients with unilateral cleft lip, alveolus and palate who underwent surgery according to Tennison-Randall were enrolled in this study. Soft tissue dynamics was analysed during passive stretching and active contraction of the lips, and photogrammetry was used for comparing relative changes of length and displacement vectors. The spatial coordinates of surgically significant and reproducible landmarks along the red-white lip junction were analyzed. RESULTS: Static analysis of the lips revealed a good result with far-reaching symmetry in all cases. Regarding dynamic behaviour, two groups could be distinguished showing clear differences of passive distension and contraction behaviour. CONCLUSION: Despite nominally identical surgical techniques and comparable static-morphological outcomes, dynamic analysis revealed differences pointing to a need for optimization.

Cartilaginous septum deviation in children with cleft lip, alveolus and palate--an MRI analysis.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate by MRI examination the degree of deviation of the cartilaginous septum in relation to cleft size in patients with cleft lip, alveolus and palate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six children with cleft lip, alveolus and palate at age 5-20 days were examined with a 1.0 Tesla scanner using a head coil. The following parameters were evaluated: maximal cleft size (millimeter) and degree of the nasal septum deviation from the median-sagittal plane (degrees). RESULTS: Two children with bilateral clefts had no deviation; 3 children with unilateral (left-sided) cleft had a deviation to the right and 1 patient with a unilateral right-sided cleft a deviation to the left side. In all 4 patients, the degree of the nasal septum deviation increased with cleft size. CONCLUSION: Cartilaginous nasal septum deviation was noticed only in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate toward the non-cleft side and was greater with increasing cleft sizes.

Evaluation of bone availability in the cleft area following secondary osteoplasty.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoplasty in cleft patients provides a basis for shaping a closed dental arch. This study aimed at a radiological appraisal of transplantation success following secondary osteoplasty by means of alveolar bone height as related to some selected influencing factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study, postoperative radiographs of 46 patients with unilateral or bilateral clefts of lip, alveolus and palate were analyzed retrospectively. Alveolar bone height was typed according to Abyholm and Bergland and evaluated in consideration of dentition at the time of surgery and existence of the lateral incisor. RESULTS: In total, 76% (n = 35) successes (type I/II) were observed. 6 out of 46 patients (13%) had to be re-operated for osteoplasty at a later date. A non-significantly higher rate of successes occurred during the early mixed dentition. In patients with existing lateral incisor, a higher rate (78% vs. 68%) of alveolar bone heights type I/II was obtained. CONCLUSION: The successful surgical outcome in terms of alveolar bone height is facilitated by treatment onset preferably during early mixed dentition and in presence of the lateral incisor. Although maximal success rates cannot be obtained using this method, the utility and effectiveness of secondary osteoplasty in cleft patients has been confirmed.

Special features of planning and application of orthodontic miniscrews in cleft patients.

Patients with clefts of lip, alveolus and palate or some facial syndromes need complex and long-lasting orthodontic therapy. The possibility of orthodontic anchorage is often limited by congenital absence of teeth, disturbed skeletal growth or failing compliance with extraoral sources of force. Correct positioning and insertion provided, miniscrews can serve as anchorages and shorten the period of active treatment in patients with clefts. With the help of a case presentation, an outline of using orthodontic miniscrews (like: Titan, Forestadent) for anchorage in patients with clefts of lip, alveolus and palate is given along with a discussion of advantages and disadvantages. Thus miniscrews are suited for use in cleft patients. However, they require careful orthodontic and surgical planning.

Orthognathic surgery in cleft patients.

Orthognathic surgery has become a standard procedure in cranio-maxillo-facial surgery during the past five decades. Based upon the elementary works by Obwegeser who introduced sagittal split ramus osteotomy in the early 1950s, this procedure has become the worldwide gold standard in mandibular orthognathic procedures by now. When devices for ensuring the centric condylar position throughout the entire surgery were introduced by Luhr in the early 1980s, modern understanding of complete functional rehabilitation in orthognathic surgery was further enhanced. Even though Le Fort I osteotomy was performed by Wassmund already in the 1920s, it took almost another 50 years until this procedure became accepted in surgery, mainly due to concerns for severe haemorrhage that may occur during surgery. Application of a compound condylar positioning device which was established to ensure and keep the exact condylar position throughout maxillary, mandibular, as well as during bimaxillary osteotomies, and to permit the targeted use of distraction devices. Among those, cleft patients also sometimes need orthognathic correction of typical micrognathia and pseudoprogenia in late adolescence or at early adult age as secondary cleft surgery procedures. In this overview, special emphasis will be placed on orthodontic treatment as well as on the technical prerequisites for the surgical procedure.

Maxillary sinus pneumatization of an adult skull with an untreated bilateral cleft palate.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with clefts of lip, alveolus and palate show a high incidence of maxillary sinusitis. In order to evaluate sinus size as a factor in sinusitis, this study investigates maxillary sinus morphology in an adult skull with an untreated bilateral cleft. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The maxillary sinus volume (MSV) of a mixed-sex sample of 140 adult skulls from three different populations was assessed and compared with the MSV of a skull of a 25 year old man showing an untreated complete bilateral cleft. A least squares regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between MSV and different external cranial dimensions. RESULTS: The cleft skull shows a well-developed set of paranasal sinuses. There are close, significant relationships between MSV and the cranial measurements. The cleft skull had a MSV that does not deviate substantially from that predicted from the size of its facial skeleton. CONCLUSION: This study indicates a close link between the size of the facial skeleton and the MSV in humans, even in case of an untreated bilateral cleft. This, in conjunction with the existing literature, makes it extremely unlikely that the sizes of the paranasal sinuses are a factor for sinusitis in patients with cleft lip, alveolus and palate.

Histological and histomorphometric study of growth-related changes of cranial sutures in the animal model.

INTRODUCTION: During the early development, numerous histological and morphometric changes occur in the cranial sutures the exact knowledge of which is of fundamental significance for understanding clinically relevant cranial anomalies. In this paper a histological and histomorphometric longitudinal study of the coronal, sagittal and lambdoid sutures in the rat is reported in relation to age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-eight male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout) were raised under standard conditions. Eight animals each were sacrificed at defined time points (10, 14, 28, 42, 70, 98 days post partum) for specimen preparation. Histological preparations of the sagittal, coronal and lambdoid sutures were produced and examined morphologically and histomorphometrically (suture width, height, and area). RESULTS: Histologically, three phases of sutural growth with characteristic structural features were found. Histomorphometry reveals a quasi linear increase in height from the 30th to the 98th day post partum. Suture width remained relatively constant in the area of dura mater and periosteum. CONCLUSION: The sutures of the test animals studied had a similar growth behaviour primarily consisting of an increase in height with almost constant width. The three-phases of development could be demonstrated histologically in all sutures.

Morphological and clinical considerations of first and second permanent molar eruption disorders.

Tooth eruption is a complex biological process which starts from the site of development in the jaw bone until the teeth reach their final functional position in the chewing plane. Various factors can disturb this process. Besides mechanical obstacles on the eruption path, a pathological position or axial orientation of the tooth germ, morphological aberrations of the tooth or pathological alterations of the periodontium, primary disorders of the eruption mechanism may lead to complete or partial retention of the tooth in the jaw bone. These morphological features bear upon the prognosis of orthodontic correction which is dependent upon the underlying cause. First and second molars are rarely affected by eruption disorders, with a prevalence of 0.01 to 0.08 per cent, however, marked consequences for function such as posterior open bite or elongation of the antagonists may result. Following an overview of pathogenetic factors of tooth eruption disorders, selected cases of impacted first and second permanent molars are presented with respect to their morphological causes.

Influence of examiner differences on KIG-classification when assessing malocclusions.

OBJECTIVE: Indication systems such as the German KIG system (Kieferorthopädische Indikationsgruppen = Orthodontic Indication Groups) presuppose the objective assessment of underlying malocclusions. In this survey, we aimed to investigate the degree of agreement among the findings of several examiners in the assessment of different malocclusions and their classification according to the KIG system. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Calibrated examiners assessed in the clinical evaluation and on plaster models orthodontic malocclusions in 180 adults (aged 20-49, 64 male, 116 female) from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP). Clinical examination was carried out by an experienced orthodontist, and the plaster models were also analysed by an examiner experienced in orthodontics. To compare inter- and intra-individual model examiners, we had two examiners with differing orthodontic experience carry out additional analyses of 60 of the 180 models (29 male, 31 female). RESULTS: The examiner differences yielded various KIG classifications and hence different assessments (i. e., whether KIG case-costs should be borne by health insurance). The comparison "clinical examination versus model analysis" revealed differences regarding 16.7% of the study participants in the assessment of whether the expense would be borne by the statutory health insurance fund. At 5.0-8.3%, the number of participants whose assessments had differed was much smaller in the inter-individual comparison of model-examiners and was smallest (at 3.3-6.7%) when comparison was made between intra-individual assessments (by a sole examiner). With regard to overall malocclusion assessment, the greatest examiner differences were again revealed when comparing the clinical examination with the model analysis (median kappa 0.57). The model-examiner comparison revealed larger differences among examiners with less orthodontic experience (median kappa 0.61 and 0.62) than the comparison between examiners with orthodontic experience (median kappa 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: There can occasionally be considerable examiner differences in the classification of participants according to orthodontic indication groups and hence varying assessments of whether such persons are KIG cases or not. Various means of data collection (clinical evaluation-plaster models) in the assessment of malocclusions by multiple examiners and by those with little orthodontic experience may negatively influence agreement among examiners.

Problems of supernumerary teeth, hyperdontia or dentes supernumerarii.

Supernumerary teeth are extra teeth or toothlike structures which may have either erupted or unerupted in addition to the 20 deciduous teeth and the 32 permanent teeth. This article provides an overview of frequency, distribution and classification of supernumerary teeth. The etiology of supernumerary teeth is still unknown, yet various theories have been presented based on epidemiological studies. Four clinical cases representing the possible manifestations of supernumerary teeth are discussed.