Presurgical nasoalveolar moulding treatment in cleft lip and palate patients

Presurgical infant orthopedics has been employed since 1950 as an adjunctive neonatal therapy for the correction of cleft lip and palate. Most of these therapies did not address deformity of the nasal cartilage in unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate as well as the deficiency of the columella tissue in infants with bilateral cleft. The nasolaveolar molding (NAM) technique a new approach to presurgical infant orthopedics developed by Grayson reduces the severity of the initial cleft alveolar and nasal deformity. This enables the surgeon and the patient to enjoy the benefits associated with repair of a cleft deformity that is minimal in severity. This paper will discuss the appliance design, clinical management and biomechanical principles of nasolaveolar molding therapy. Long term studies on NAM therapy indicate better lip and nasal form, reduced oronasal fistula and labial deformities, 60 % reduction in the need for secondary alveolar bone grafting. No effect on growth of midface in sagittal and vertical plane has been recorded up to the age of 18 yrs. With proper training and clinical skills NAM has demonstrated tremendous benefit to the cleft patients as well as to the surgeon performing the repair

Presurgical nasoalveolar moulding treatment in cleft lip and palate patients

Presurgical infant orthopedics has been employed since 1950 as an adjunctive neonatal therapy for the correction of cleft lip and palate. Most of these therapies did not address deformity of the nasal cartilage in unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate as well as the deficiency of the columella tissue in infants with bilateral cleft. The nasolaveolar molding (NAM) technique a new approach to presurgical infant orthopedics developed by Grayson reduces the severity of the initial cleft alveolar and nasal deformity. This enables the surgeon and the patient to enjoy the benefits associated with repair of a cleft deformity that is minimal in severity. This paper will discuss the appliance design, clinical management and biomechanical principles of nasolaveolar molding therapy. Long term studies on NAM therapy indicate better lip and nasal form, reduced oronasal fistula and labial deformities, 60 % reduction in the need for secondary alveolar bone grafting. No effect on growth of midface in sagittal and vertical plane has been recorded up to the age of 18 yrs. With proper training and clinical skills NAM has demonstrated tremendous benefit to the cleft patients as well as to the surgeon performing the repair

Early Distraction for Mild to Moderate Unilateral Craniofacial Microsomia: Long-Term Follow-Up, Outcomes, and Recommendations

Background: There is controversy regarding the treatment of young patients with unilateral craniofacial microsomia and moderate dysmorphism. The relative indication for mandibular distraction in such patients poses several questions: Is it deleterious in the context of craniofacial growth and appearance? This study was designed to address these questions. Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing mandibular distraction by a single surgeon between 1989 and 2010 was conducted. Patients with "moderate" unilateral craniofacial microsomia (as defined by Pruzansky type I or IIa mandibles) and follow-up until craniofacial skeletal maturity were included for analysis. Patients were divided into two cohorts: satisfactory and unsatisfactory results based on photographic aesthetic evaluation by independent blinded observers at the initial presentation and at the age of skeletal maturity. Clinical variables were analyzed to detect predictors for satisfactory distraction. Results: Nineteen patients were included for analysis. The average age at distraction was 68.2 months and the average age at follow-up was 19.55 years. Thirteen patients (68.4 percent) had Pruzansky type IIA and six patients (31.6 percent) had Pruzansky type I mandibles. Twelve patients (63.2 percent) had satisfactory outcomes, whereas seven patients (36.8 percent) had unsatisfactory outcomes. Comparing the two cohorts, patients with satisfactory outcomes had distraction at an earlier age (56.4 months versus 89.8 months; p = 0.07) and a greater percentage overcorrection from craniofacial midline (41.7 percent versus 1.8 percent; p = 0.003). Conclusion: Mandibular distraction is successful in patients with mild to moderate dysmorphism, provided that there is a comprehensive clinical program emphasizing adequate mandibular bone stock, proper vector selection, planned overcorrection, and comprehensive orthodontic management. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

The Nasoalveolar Molding Cleft Protocol: Long-Term Treatment Outcomes from Birth to Facial Maturity

The authors present outcomes analysis of the nasoalveolar molding treatment protocol in patients with a cleft followed from birth to facial maturity. A single-institution retrospective review was conducted of cleft patients who underwent nasoalveolar molding between 1990 and 2000. Collected data included surgical and orthodontic outcomes and incidence of gingivoperiosteoplasty, alveolar bone grafting, surgery for velopharyngeal insufficiency, palatal fistula repair, orthognathic surgery, nose and/or lip revision, and facial growth. One hundred seven patients met inclusion criteria (69 with unilateral and 38 with bilateral cleft lip and palate). Eighty-five percent (91 of 107) underwent gingivoperiosteoplasty (unilateral: 78 percent, 54 of 69; bilateral: 97 percent, 37 of 38). Of those patients, 57 percent (52 of 91) did not require alveolar bone grafting (unilateral: 59 percent, 32 of 54; bilateral: 54 percent, 20 of 37). Twelve percent (13 of 107) of all study patients underwent revision surgery to the lip and/or nose before facial maturity (unilateral: 9 percent, six of 69; bilateral: 18 percent, seven of 38). Nineteen percent (20 of 107) did not require a revision surgery, alveolar bone grafting, or orthognathic surgery (unilateral: 20 percent, 14 of 69; bilateral: 16 percent, six of 38). Cephalometric analysis was performed on all patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate. No significant statistical difference was found in maxillary position or facial proportion. Average age at last follow-up was 20 years (range, 15 years 4 months to 26 years 10 months). Nasoalveolar molding demonstrates a low rate of soft-tissue revision and alveolar bone grafting, and a low number of total operations per patient from birth to facial maturity. Facial growth analysis at facial maturity in patients who underwent gingivoperiosteoplasty and nasoalveolar molding suggests that this proposal may not hinder midface growth. Therapeutic, IV