Secondary Bone Grafting of Alveolar Clefts: A Surgical/Orthodontic Treatment Enabling a Non-prosthodontic Rehabilitation in Cleft Lip and Palate Patients

A procedure combining grafting of cancellous bone to the residual cleft of the primary palate with subsequent orthodontic movement of teeth into the former cleft area is described. The preliminary results from the first 80 patients (89 clefts) are presented. The age of the patients at the bone grafting ranged from 8 to 18 years, and the observation time from 17 to 44 months. The results have been assessed 1) on the basis of dental radiographs and 2) clinically, by the response of the grafted area to the orthodontic movement of adjacent teeth. In 69 clefts in which the cleft side canine had been brought into its final position at the time of evaluation, the height of the interal-veolar septum was assessed to be approximately normal in 38% and slightly less than normal in 44%. A septum of insufficient height (less than 3/4 of the normal) had formed in 5 clefts (7%). Even in these cases, the main objects of the operation were fulfilled: The maxillary segments were stabilized, the teeth adjacent to the cleft had better bone support, and the gap in the dental arch could be closed orthodontically in four of the five clefts. Failures, i.e. no continuous bone bridge across the alveolar cleft, were recorded in 8 instances (9%) of the total material. When failures were disregarded, the gap in the dental arch was closed orthodontically in 90%, while prosthodontic closure was deemed necessary in 10% of the cases. Optimal results were obtained when bone grafting was performed prior to the full eruption of the cleft side canine. In this situation, the known potential of an erupting tooth to induce alveolar bone generation proved to be of great advantage. By deliberately guiding the erupting canine through the grafted area close to the incisor, a nearly normal interalveolar septum was formed, and the gap in the dental arch was closed orthodontically in 23 out of 26 clefts. When fissural teeth were present, they were in most cases integrated in the dental arch. Approximate incisor symmetry could thus be obtained. In the remaining 20 clefts, the ipsilateral canine had not reached its final position at the time of evaluation, and the end results could not be assessed. However, bone formation in the defect was good in 19 of the 20 clefts, and a fully satisfactory result is expected in the majority of these cases. Further advantages were obtained by this procedure: 1) The maxillary segments were stabilized, particularly important in bilateral clefts in which the premaxilla was movable. 2) Oronasal fistulae were effectively closed and mucosal recesses eliminated. 3) The grafted bone provided support for the receded alar base, reducing the nasal asymmetry and improving the facial contour. 4) The postoperative orthodontic treatment could be brought to an end at approximately the same age as for patients with a non-cleft malocclusion. The only significant complication in this series was infection of the grafted area, causing loss of the bone grafts in two cases, and possibly contributing to the failure in some other patients. The experience gained with this treatment permits the conclusion that a full osseous and dental rehabilitation can be achieved in the great majority of patients with cleft lip and palate without any prosthodontic reconstructive work.