Soft tissue changes after maxillary advancement in patients with cleft lip and palate Individuals with cleft lip and palate frequently require maxillary advancement surgery to correct facial imbalance and occlusal relationship. The scarring of upper lip, resulting from previous cleft closure surgery, inhibits proper bone growth causing significant maxillary deficiency. Although several studies evaluate the soft tissue profile in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery, most of them do not include in their sample patients with cleft lip and palate. The soft tissue response in cleft patients is uncertain and difficult to predict in surgical planning, being a limiting factor in the final result. In this study the cephalometric analysis of soft tissues was performed in order to define relationships between the advancement of soft tissue and hard tissue in cleft patients. The behavior of these structures regarding to maxillary advancement was also analyzed. The study was observational and descriptive and included a sample of 87 patients treated surgically by Le Fort I osteotomy with maxillary advancement. The minimum post-operative time to study was 6 months. Lateral cephalometric radiographs with distinct post-surgical times were scanned and cephalometric tracing was performed by Dolphin Imaging software. To calculate the average maxillary advancement, a software tool was used to allow the overlay of radiographs. Then, the sample was divided according to advancement amplitude and the results in soft tissue were analyzed. The highest soft/hard tissue ratios were obtained in advancements smaller than or equal to 5.0 mm. Overjet, overbite and upper lip length increased while the nose decreased in all advancement amplitude. There was no significant change in upper lip advancement, regardless of the measurement of maxillary advancement. In advances of up to 5.0 mm the effects in soft tissue were minimal, manifesting in greater advances. No significant correlation was found between any variable studied and the maxillary advancement. The study revealed an overview of the behavior of soft tissue structures in cleft patients undergoing to orthognathic surgery. This information supports presurgical planning and it benefits into getting the planned facial profile.
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