Comparison of facial morphology in two populations with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate from two different centers.

OBJECTIVE To identify differences in craniofacial morphology of two populations with a history of complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) treated under different protocols. DESIGN Retrospective longitudinal cohort study. SETTING Cleft Center of the University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and the Cleft Lip and Palate Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. SUBJECTS Nineteen patients (16 male, 3 female) from Nijmegen and 19 patients (16 male, 3 female) from Toronto. Each patient was matched for sex and age with a patient from the other group. The mean ages at which lateral cephalometric radiographs were available for the Nijmegen group were 5.5, 9.9, and 18.3 years, while for the Toronto group these were available at mean ages of 5.3, 10.1, and 18.3 years, respectively. Eighteen patients from the Nijmegen group received an alveolar bone graft at a mean age of 9.5 years (range 8.2 to 13.5 years). None of the patients from Toronto received bone grafts. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Eighteen cephalometric variables per radiograph were calculated at each time registration, using Dentofacial Planner cephalometric software. Statistical evaluation was performed with repeated-measures analysis of variance. RESULTS No differences were seen in the maxillary measurements. The patients in the Toronto group had significantly larger mandibles at all three time registrations. CONCLUSIONS The Nijmegen and Toronto protocols resulted in similar maxillary projections in patients with UCLP. Comparison of data from other studies supports the contention that the larger profile convexity of the Nijmegen group is a reflection of a genetically determined smaller mandibular size in the Dutch population.