The Extent of Palatal Lengthening by Push-Back Palatoplasty.

Bae, Yong Chan; Hwang, Sung Ho; Jeon, Jae Yong; Hwang, So Min

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Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 1999;26(1):20-25.
Published online January 1, 1999.

The Extent of Palatal Lengthening by Push-Back Palatoplasty.

Yong Chan Bae, Sung Ho Hwang, Jae Yong Jeon, So Min Hwang

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, College of Medicine, Pusan National University.

Abstract

It has been necessary to measure the actual palatal length change in order to acquire the relationship between precise pronunciation and the palatal length. The authors developed a method of palatal length measurement, using a paper ruler in patients with cleft palate under general anesthesia. We gauged the length starting fron the meeting point of the midline between two medial incisor teeth with lingual gingiva reaching up to uvula tip. The team recorded the straight-line distance linking two measurement points and curved-line distance against the palatal surface before and after the palatoplasty. This study reviewed, and analyzed the results from the measurements out of 89 cleft palate patients having push-back palatoplasty at the Pusan National University Hospital in the last 2 years. 1. Group A (between 10 to 18 month-old) 1) Incomplete cleft palate patients gained the straight-line length increase with an average of 5.6 mm(14.6%) and the curved-line length increase with an average of 5.0mm(10.1%) 2) Complete unilateral cleft palate patients gained a straight-line length increase with an average of 6.3 mm (14.1%) and the curved-line length increase with and average of 5.9 mm(11.4%) 3) Complete bilateral cleft palate patients gained the straight-line length increase with an average of 6.3 mm(14.1%) and the curved--line length increase with an average of 5.9 mm(11.4%) 4) Submucosal cleft palate patients gained a straight-line length increase with an average of 6.3 mm(14.7%) and the curved-line length increase with an average of 4.9 mm(10.4%) Analysis could not reveal any statistically significant diffeences among different types within Group A patients. 2. Group B (10 to 24 month-old): The data showed that straight-line distance gained length increase with an average of 7.3 mm(16.3%) and curved-line distance gained length increase with an average of 6.7 mm(13.0%). Group C(<24 month-old): The data showed that straight-line distance gained length increase with an average of 14.5% There were no statistically significant differences in the comparison of palatal lengthening ratio among these 3 groups. This paper presents a simple way of measuring palatal length. The data on differentiation of palatal length will contribute tothe long-term follow up study as well as patient's speech development in correlation with postoperative palatal length. It can be also utilized for further comparison study with the results from various palatoplasty methods.

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