[Orthopedic treatment of labio-maxillo-palatal clefts: our approach]

Many authors use a preliminary orthopedic procedure before cleft lip and palate surgical closure in order to prevent possible bone distortion following the rupture of the muscle belts resulting from the cleft. Actually, this is generally not only an orthopedic treatment but rather a surgical orthopedic step which includes lip adhesion before the surgical closure of the clefts. Following the procedures proposed by Georgiade and Latham, we have used since 1996 a treatment based on traction applied with an elastic chain on splints attached by transmaxillary pins for certain types of clefts, namely unilateral complete clefts with endognathy of the small fragment, unilateral complete clefts larger than 7 mm, bilateral wide complete clefts with premaxilla protrusion, and bilateral wide complete clefts with collapsus and premaxillary protrusion. Technical procedures vary with the type of cleft. Standard procedures with or without jacks are used for the other types of complete clefts. These orthopedic procedures with elastic traction are performed between the 3rd and 6th week, before lip adhesion of the upper part of the lip (combined with release of skin and subcutaneous tissues from the underlying alar cartilage). A palatine plate with or without a jack, fitted most of the time with a spring for nostril support, is then inserted until surgical closure.