Issues involved in the evaluation of velopharyngeal closure

The development and use of frontal and base-view fluorography have increased the value of cinefluorography in the evaluation of velopharyngeal closure. This paper discusses problems in the fluorographic examination of the closure mechanism, the need for other measures of velopharyngeal closure, and the validation of closure measures. Reliability data are needed for measurements made from frontal and base-view films and tapes. Measures in addition to those of a fluorographic nature are needed for the identification of persons with questionable velopharyngeal closure and for use in the evaluation of training procedures that may contribute to improved use of the velopharyngeal closure mechanism. A pattern of relationships among fluorographic and nonfluorograph measures of velopharyngeal closure can be studied in the validation of both classes of measures.