BONE FORMATION IN UNILATERAL CLEFT LIP AND PALATE PATIENTS AFTER EARLY SECONDARY GINGIVOALVEOLOPLASTY AND BONE GRAFT: LONG-TERM STUDY.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis, utilizing CT scans, of ossification patterns in unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) patients who underwent early secondary gingivoalveoloplasty (esGAP) versus those who underwent traditional alveolar bone grafting harvested from the iliac crest (IC). METHODS: 22 CT scans of patients consecutively treated with esGAP were compared with those of 21 patients treated with bone grafting from iliac crest (IC). Inclusion criteria were non syndromic UCLP patients in permanent dentition. Two parameters were considered the alveolar thickness, measured at three levels, and the nasoalveolar height. All measurements were normalized and ratios of the affected versus non affected sides were provided as well as the statistical comparison between the two groups' ossification outcomes. RESULTS: In the esGAP sample nasoalveolar height was categorized as ideal and good in 86.36% and in 13.64% of the cases and no mediocre or insufficient ossification was detected, while in the bone grafting sample 38.10% had ideal and good ossification, 14.29% mediocre and 9.52% insufficient. As regard the alveolar thickness, when we consider the average of three levels, for the esGAP sample was ideal and good in 57.57% and in 30.30% of the cases and for the IC sample in 41.27% and in 25.40% of the cases, respectively. The analysis detected a statistically significant difference in the ossification outcomes in the two samples. CONCLUSION: EsGAP yields superior ossification grades in comparison to IC bone grafting.