Copyright © 2015 American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
www.PRSJournal.com 365e
P
rimary closure of the alveolar cleft has been
described by many authors with many dif-
ferent approaches: bone grafts,
1,2
periosteal
pedicled faps,
3
free periosteal faps,
4,5
or muco-
periosteal faps.
6
Primary gingivoperiosteoplasty
was suggested by Millard in 1980 and consisted of
a covering of the alveolar cleft with local muco-
periosteal faps, per formed together with lip adhe-
sion at the age of 3 months.
7
Delaire postponed
the alveolar closure at the age of 18 to 24 months,
when the closure of the hard palate was also per-
formed,
8
thus naming the procedure early sec-
ondary gingivoalveoloplasty. Both Millard and
Delaire’s protocol applied a presurgical orthope-
dic treatment to position the alveolar ridges close
to one another.
Since 1988, early secondary gingivoalveolo-
plasty was introduced in our surgical protocol
and performed at 18 to 36 months, during the
stage of hard palate repair, whereas lip, nose, and
Disclosure: The present study was not supported
by any company, institute, or organization that has
profit-obtaining purposes. None of the authors has
a financial interest in any of the products or devices
mentioned in this article.
Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
DOI: 10.1097/01.prs.0000475781.60962.f0
Maria Costanza Meazzini,
D.M.D., M.M.Sc.
Martina Corno, M.D.
Giorgio Novelli, M.D.
Luca Autelitano, M.D.
Chiara Tortora, D.D.S.
Davide Elsido, D.D.S.
Giovanna Garattini, M.D.
Roberto Brusati, M.D.
Milan and Monza, Italy
Background: The goal of this study was to evaluate with a three-dimensional
method the long-term quality of alveolar ossifcation in unilateral cleft lip and
palate patients who underwent early secondary gingivoalveoloplasty according
to the Milan surgical protocol.
Methods: The sample consisted of 63 computed tomographic scans of unilater-
al cleft lip and palate patients in permanent dentition. The average age at the
time of assessment was 15.7 years. Alveolar thickness, nasoalveolar height, nasal
foor ossifcation, and hard palate morphology were evaluated using dental,
axial, and coronal cuts on computed tomographic scans and three-dimension-
al models. All measurements were normalized and ratios of the affected side
versus the nonaffected side were provided. Volume measurements and ratios
of each hemimaxilla were added. The presence or absence of the permanent
lateral incisor on the cleft side was also recorded.
Results: Alveolar thickness and height were ideal or good, respectively, in 89.5
and 91.4 percent of the sample. Insuffcient ossifcation (<25 percent) was
found in three patients (5.2 percent), and only one of them (1.7 percent)
presented no bone bridging. A statistically signifcant association was detected
between the degree of alveolar ossifcation, the type of nasal foor ossifcation,
and volume ratio.
Conclusions: Early secondary gingivoalveoloplasty seemed to allow an ade-
quate ossifcation of both the alveolar and nasal region. Three-dimensional
evaluation of the alveolar cleft ossifcation provided further information on
alveolar bridging and allowed evaluation of the bone availability for implant
placement. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 137: 365e, 2016.)
CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.
From the University of Milan, Regional Centre for CLP and
Craniofacial Anomalies, Department of Cranio-Maxillo-
Facial Surgery, San Paolo Hospital; and the Department
of Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, University of Milano-
Bicocca.
Received for publication April 26, 2015; accepted September
23, 2015.
Long-Term Computed Tomographic Evaluation
of Alveolar Bone Formation in Patients with
Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate after Early
Secondary Gingivoalveoloplasty
PEDIATRIC/CRANIOFACIAL