Morphological findings in unoperated cleft lips and palates.

A total of 353 children with cleft lips and palates were examined with regard to the morphology of the tissue surrounding the clefts in the lip, jaw, and palate. Photographs, radiograms (panoramic views of the maxilla), and study models were taken prior to operation. Results indicate a close relationship between the degree and condition of the cleft and the extension of the vermilion, the number of tooth buds adjacent to the cleft, the form and size of the alveolar borders, and the number and type of incisors. In isolated cleft palates, the cleft edges are always symmetrical and there is a gradual transition from board-arched, total clefts of the hard palate to the bifid uvula having no impact on articulation.