Effect of timing of palatal repair on the transverse development of maxillary alveolar arch in complete-cleft cases

Abstract

Forty cleft cases in the age range of 5-12 years where the palatal repair had been performed at 16-24 months (17 cases), 24-36 months (15 cases) and 36-72 months (8 cases) were assessed retrospectively, for the status of maxillary arch and were segregated as acceptable and unacceptable. Plaster casts were prepared from alginate impressions and their graphical reproduction using Huddart's technique, were used to measure the alveolar arch. Anterior palatal measurement (C-C') and posterior palatal measurement (P-P') of the cleft subjects were compared with that in the non-cleft matched controls. The 16-24 month group showed 41.2% acceptable and 58.8% unacceptable arch cases. The 24-36 month group showed that 73.4% had acceptable arches and 26.6% had unacceptable arches. In the 36-72 months group the arch was acceptable in 62.5% cases and unacceptable in 37.5% cases. It was concluded that palatal repair performed before 24 months of age adversely affected the maxillary growth, whereas most favourable growth of maxillary arch occurred when the repair was done between 24-36 months.