ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to 3-dimensionally assess the airway characteristics of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) who underwent orthognathic surgery. DESIGN: This was a retrospective study. SETTING: The study took place at a national referral center for cleft lip and palate rehabilitation. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: The sample comprised cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans obtained before and after orthognathic surgery of 15 individuals (30 CBCT scans), divided into 2 groups: UCLP group (n = 9 patients/18 CBCT scans) and BCLP group (n = 6/12 CBCT scans). All patients had a nonsyndromic UCLP or BCLP and a skeletal class III malocclusion at the preoperative period. INTERVENTIONS: Airway volume, pharyngeal minimal cross-sectional area (mCSA), location of mCSA, sella-nasion-A point (SNA) and sella-nasion-B point (SNB) angles, and condylion-A point and condyloid-gnathion linear measurements were assessed in open-source software (ITK-SNAP and SlicerCMF). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Airway dimensions of patients with UCLP and BCLP increase after orthognathic surgery. RESULTS: After orthognathic surgery, UCLP group showed a significant 20% increase in nasopharynx volume. Although not significant, BCLP group also showed an increase of 18% in the same region. Minimal cross-sectional area remained dimensionally stable after surgery and was all located in the oropharynx region, on both groups. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between volume and mCSA on both groups. CONCLUSION: Overall, individuals with UCLP and BCLP showed an increase in the upper airway after orthognathic surgery and this might explain the breathing and sleep improvements reported by the patients after the surgery.
Subject(s)
Cleft Lip , Cleft Palate , Cone-Beam Computed Tomography , Humans , Orthognathic Surgery , Orthognathic Surgical Procedures , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
The Laboratory of Physiology provides support for the diagnosis of functional disorders associated with cleft lip and palate and also conducts studies to assess, objectively, the institutional outcomes, as recommended by the World Health Organization. The Laboratory is conceptually divided into three units, namely the Unit for Upper Airway Studies, Unit for Stomatognathic System Studies and the Unit for Sleep Studies, which aims at analyzing the impact of different surgical and dental procedures on the upper airways, stomatognathic system and the quality of sleep of individuals with cleft lip and palate. This paper describes the main goals of the Laboratory in the assessment of procedures which constitute the basis of the rehabilitation of cleft lip and palate, i.e., Plastic Surgery, Orthodontics and Maxillofacial Surgery and Speech Pathology.
Subject(s)
Cleft Lip/rehabilitation , Cleft Palate/rehabilitation , Laboratories, Hospital , Outcome Assessment, Health Care/organization & administration , Brazil , Cleft Lip/physiopathology , Cleft Palate/physiopathology , Hospitals, University , Humans , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
The Laboratory of Physiology provides support for the diagnosis of functional disorders associated with cleft lip and palate and also conducts studies to assess, objectively, the institutional outcomes, as recommended by the World Health Organization. The Laboratory is conceptually divided into three units, namely the Unit for Upper Airway Studies, Unit for Stomatognathic System Studies and the Unit for Sleep Studies, which aims at analyzing the impact of different surgical and dental procedures on the upper airways, stomatognathic system and the quality of sleep of individuals with cleft lip and palate. This paper describes the main goals of the Laboratory in the assessment of procedures which constitute the basis of the rehabilitation of cleft lip and palate, i.e., Plastic Surgery, Orthodontics and Maxillofacial Surgery and Speech Pathology.
