Changes in soft tissue thickness after Le Fort I osteotomy in different cleft types

Area of Science:

• Craniofacial surgery
• Plastic surgery
• Orthognathic surgery

Background:

• Le Fort I osteotomy is a common surgical procedure for correcting midface hypoplasia in cleft lip and palate patients.
• Understanding soft tissue changes is crucial for predicting aesthetic outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate soft tissue thickness changes in the upper lip and perioral areas following Le Fort I osteotomy in different cleft types.
• To compare these changes among patients with isolated cleft palate (CP), unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), and bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP).

Main Methods:

• Cephalometric analysis of soft tissue thickness before and 6 months after Le Fort I osteotomy.
• Study included 46 patients: 10 CP, 10 BCLP, and 26 UCLP.
• Exclusion criteria included bimaxillary surgery, rhinoplasty, or V-Y plasty.

Main Results:

• All cleft types showed thinning in the subnasal area, superior labial sulcus, and upper lip.
• Significant upper lip thinning was observed in UCLP and BCLP groups.
• Subnasal and superior labial sulcus areas were thicker in the CP group compared to BCLP and UCLP groups.

Conclusions:

• Le Fort I osteotomy leads to predictable soft tissue thinning in the upper lip and perioral regions in cleft patients.
• Soft tissue response varies significantly based on the type of cleft.
• CP patients exhibit thicker soft tissues in certain areas compared to BCLP and UCLP patients.