Maxillary distraction resulting in facial advancement at Le Fort III level in cleft lip and palate patients: a report of two cases

Abstract

An 18-year-old female and a 14-year-old male who had previously received surgery for primary repair of a nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (including alveolar defect bone grafting) unintentionally developed facial advancement at the Le Fort III level after surgical correction of their maxillary hypoplasia. The Le Fort I osteotomy, originally performed for their maxillary dentoalveolar hypoplasia, was an incomplete osteotomy. It was performed without down-fracture, leaving the pterygomaxillary and septal junctions intact. The gradual advancement of the maxilla during distraction osteogenesis was planned to correct the hypoplastic maxilla, and also prevent subsequent hypernasality; however, during the distraction procedure by means of a rigid external device both patients developed an unintentional facial advancement at the Le Fort III level.