From January 2000 to December 2001, six patients with craniosynostosis were treated. Involved sutures were coronal sutures in three patients, coronal and metopic sutures in one patient, multiple sutures (brachycephaly and oxycephaly) in one patient, and multiple sutures with a cloverleaf skull deformity in one patient. The age distribution of the patients was 4 months to 3 years. Four were male, and two were female. A frontal craniotomy was performed in four patients with brachycephaly. In one patient with brachycephaly, the osteotomies were made across the nasofrontal junction, across the roof of the orbit, and along the lateral orbital wall. In one patient with a cloverleaf skull deformity, a frontal bone osteotomy was first performed 1 cm above the roof of the orbit. A supraorbital frontal bar was then made across the nasofrontal junction, across the roof of the orbit, and down to the lateral orbital wall. The frontal bone flap was repositioned to the supraorbital bar using absorbable miniplates and screws. Distraction was started 3 to 7 days after the operation at a distraction rate of 1 mm/d. The real duration of the first operation was 90 to 120 minutes, and the second operation to remove the device took 40 to 50 minutes to perform. The distracted length was 15 to 25 mm. The consolidation period was 3 to 5 weeks. The follow-up period was 6 months to 1 year. Postoperative three-dimensional computed tomography demonstrated reossification at the bone flap and advancement of the fronto-orbital area. After surgery, the cranial volume increased 22.7% on average compared with before surgery. The mean ratio of the anteroposterior length to the transverse length of the cranial vault was changed from 0.96 before surgery to 1.04 after surgery. In conclusion, the advantages of distraction osteogenesis of the cranial vault are that it offers a less invasive technique, a shorter operation time, easy care, and postoperative safety as a result of minimal dissection of the dura. Disadvantages are the limited possibility of initial reshaping and the necessity of one more operation for device removal.

Improvements in both living standards and incomes have meant that many more people are now able to undergo elective plastic surgery for facial improvement. The nose and midface are the most frequent surgical target in Korea. However, the lack of reliable and precise anthropological data is a hindrance for effective surgical applications in this area. In the current study, 21 different lengths and angles of the midface and nose were measured in 2065 volunteers. The data were analyzed to establish sex and racial differences. Most of the measurements obtained from male volunteers were 5% to 10% greater than for the females, exceptions being the nasofrontal, nasolabial, and nasal tip angles. The biggest sex difference was found for depth of pupil, and the smallest difference was for intercanthal distance. For each measurement, the ratio of proportional differences was similar to that for whites. Many Koreans exhibited a columella protrusion of 4 to 5 mm; that parameter measures 2 to 3 mm in whites. The prevention of a hanging columella is important in nasal tip surgery. The intercanthal distance was also relatively large compared with the facial width. In females, the intercanthal distance was similar to the length of the nasal dorsum and the width of the nose. Surgeons may find this analysis useful for surgical planning. The present study provides basic clues for planning and practice in reconstructive and aesthetic facial surgery.

BackgroundThe bone graft for the alveolar cleft has been accepted as one of the essential treatments for cleft lip patients. Precise preoperative measurement of the architecture and size of the bone defect in alveolar cleft has been considered helpful for increasing the success rate of bone grafting because those features may vary with the cleft type. Recently, some studies have reported on the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) assessment of alveolar bone defect; however, no study on the possible implication of the cleft type on the difference between the presumed and actual value has been conducted yet. We aimed to evaluate the clinical predictability of such measurement using 3D CT assessment according to the cleft type.MethodsThe study consisted of 47 pediatric patients. The subjects were divided according to the cleft type. CT was performed before the graft operation and assessed using image analysis software. The statistical significance of the difference between the preoperative estimation and intraoperative measurement was analyzed.ResultsThe difference between the preoperative and intraoperative values were -0.1±0.3 cm3 (P=0.084). There was no significant intergroup difference, but the groups with a cleft palate showed a significant difference of -0.2±0.3 cm3 (P<0.05).ConclusionsAssessment of the alveolar cleft volume using 3D CT scan data and image analysis software can help in selecting the optimal graft procedure and extracting the correct volume of cancellous bone for grafting. Considering the cleft type, it would be helpful to extract an additional volume of 0.2 cm3 in the presence of a cleft palate.

BackgroundOrthognathic surgery is required in 25% to 35% of patients with a cleft lip and palate, for whom functional recovery and aesthetic improvement after surgery are important. The aim of this study was to examine maxillary and mandibular changes, along with concomitant soft tissue changes, in cleft patients who underwent LeFort I osteotomy and sagittal split ramus osteotomy (two-jaw surgery).MethodsTwenty-eight cleft patients who underwent two-jaw surgery between August 2008 and November 2013 were included. Cephalometric analysis was conducted before and after surgery. Preoperative and postoperative measurements of the bone and soft tissue were compared.ResultsThe mean horizontal advancement of the maxilla (point A) was 6.12 mm, while that of the mandible (point B) was -5.19 mm. The mean point A-nasion-point B angle was -4.1° before surgery, and increased to 2.5° after surgery. The mean nasolabial angle was 72.7° before surgery, and increased to 88.7° after surgery. The mean minimal distance between Rickett's E-line and the upper lip was 6.52 mm before surgery and 1.81 mm after surgery. The ratio of soft tissue change to bone change was 0.55 between point A and point A' and 0.93 between point B and point B'.ConclusionsPatients with cleft lip and palate who underwent two-jaw surgery showed optimal soft tissue changes. The position of the soft tissue (point A') was shifted by a distance equal to 55% of the change in the maxillary bone. Therefore, bone surgery without soft tissue correction can achieve good aesthetic results.

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