A retrospective study of the stability of midface osteotomies in cleft lip and palate patients.

Relapse following midface osteotomies in cleft lip and palate patients was investigated in a retrospective study. The amount of surgical movement and subsequent relapse was measured using a computer aided digitisation programme with reference to the cranial base. The mean maxillary surgical advance was 5.09 mm horizontally and 5.70 mm vertically. After a mean follow up period of 22 months the mean relapse of the anterior maxilla was 0.90 mm (17%) horizontally and 1.55 mm (27.2%) vertically. Preliminary indications are that direct skeletal fixation of the maxilla by bone plates results in less relapse than when cranio-maxillary fixation is employed.