Morphologic effect of preoperative maxillofacial orthopedics (T-traction) on the maxilla in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients.

Sixty-eight children born with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate were studied using dental casts taken at ages 0-0.1; 0.2-0.4; and 0.5-0.6 years of age. They were all treated with preoperative maxillofacial orthopedics using an external device (T-traction). The treatment was started after the first model was taken. Dental casts were analyzed regarding the morphology of the cleft region and the maxillary segments before and after treatment. The measurements were compared with measurements on dental casts of nontreated cleft children of similar age. The results suggest that a more normal anatomy of the cleft region occurs during the first 6 months of life whether preoperative maxillofacial orthopedics (T-traction) is used or not. However, this normalized growth seems to occur faster with the T-traction.