Abstract:

Objective The varying width ratio patterns of posterior hard palate cleft to posterior maxillary tuberosity plane and their relationship with growth and development were studied in specific-age patients with simple cleft palate before surgery to provide a reference for evaluating operation difficulty and predetermining operative period. Methods A total of 581 patients with simple cleft palate who received surgical treatment and are aged 8 months to 38 years participated in this study. All patients were categorized into seven groups based on age at preoperative measurement. The widths of posterior maxillary tuberosity plane and hard palate cleft were selected from the preoperative direct measurements. The relative width ratio of the hard palate to posterior maxillary tuberosity plane in each patient was used to objectively reflect the relative width of cleft palate. Results For patients with simple cleft palate, the widths of posterior maxillary tuberosity plane and hard palate showed remarkably increasing trends. Conclusion The transverse proportion of cleft palate fissure in the upper mandible increases statistically with age, suggesting the need for complex operation.

Key words: cleft palate, maxilla, facial growth, clinical analysis