Morphological Changes in Maxillary Arch Post-Cheiloplasty in Cleft Lip and Palate Infants: A Case Series

Objective This study evaluated the effectiveness of cleft lip repair in modifying maxillary arch morphology in infants with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (cUCLP) over a 6-month period. Design Prospective case series. Setting My Thien Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Participants Fifteen infants with cUCLP, average age 5.07 months. Intervention All infants underwent unilateral cleft lip repair using Fisher's technique. Maxillary arch impressions were taken before surgery and 6 months postoperatively and converted into 3D models. Main Outcome Measures Analysis focused on maxillary arch dimensions in anteroposterior and transverse directions, changes in cleft width, curvature of the larger segment, and position of the proximal edge. Results Alveolar cleft width (GL) and anterior curvature angle (∠GIC) showed significant reductions ( P < .05). Additionally, posterior arch width (TT'), maxillary arch depth (I-TT'), and anterior arch depth (I-CC') showed significant increases ( P < .05), while anterior arch width (CC') remained unchanged ( P = .87). Measurements demonstrated high reliability with ICC > 0.75 for all parameters. Conclusion Unilateral cleft lip repair in cUCLP infants significantly narrowed the alveolar cleft width and reduced the anterior curvature angle. Increases in posterior arch width and maxillary arch depth were also observed. These morphological changes are crucial for planning future surgical interventions to optimize outcomes.