Comparison of hyoid bone position among cleft lip palate and normal subjects.

OBJECTIVE To compare the hyoid bone position between cleft lip/palate and normal patients. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional analytical study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences (DIEKIOHS), Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Karachi, from March 2012 to February 2013. METHODOLOGY The sample for this study consisted of total 68 subjects among which Group 1 consisted of 34 nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (both unilateral and bilateral) and Group 2 included 34 subjects with normal facial morphology. Both groups included males and females with mean age 14.3±0.1 year. Analysis was done on lateral cephalometric radiographs of patients including angulations taken as Hp-Mp, Hp-Ol, Hp-Sn, Cvt-Evt, Opt-Cvt, Nke, Sn-Vert, Cvt-Vert, Sn-Vert and linear distance of hyoid bone measured as C3-H, C3-RGN, and H-RGN. RESULTS Statistically significant differences [p<0.001] in C3-H, C3-Rgn, H-Rgn, and Sn-Cvt were found between cleft lip/palate group and normal group. CONCLUSION Hyoid bone is located anteriorly and caudally in cleft lip and palate group.