Velopharyngeal morphology of patients with persistent velopharyngeal incompetence following repushback surgery for...

To characterize the velopharyngeal morphology of patients with persistent velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) following repushback surgery for cleft palate.

Seven patients with moderate to severe VPI following repushback surgery for secondary correction of cleft palate, and 14 patients who had already obtained complete velopharyngeal closure function (VPF) were enrolled. Control data were obtained from the longitudinal files of 20 normal children in Kyushu University Dental Hospital.

Skeletal landmarks and measurements were derived from tracing of lateral roentgenographic cephalograms. The measurements included velar length, pharyngeal depth, and pharyngeal height and the ratio of velar length to pharyngeal depth. Additionally, the configuration of the upper pharynx (pharyngeal triangle) involving the cranial base, cervical vertebrae, and the posterior maxilla and also the position of posterior pharyngeal wall (PPW) in the pharyngeal triangle were analyzed.

The VPI group had a significantly shorter velar length and greater pharyngeal depth, resulting in a smaller length/depth ratio than the controls. The points of PPW and cervical vertebrae of the VPI group were located more posteriorly and inferiorly than those in the group with complete VPF after the primary operation and the controls. The positions of cranial base and maxilla were not significantly different. Additionally, the position of PPW in the pharyngeal triangle was located significantly posteriorly and superiorly in the VPI group, compared with the controls.

The craniopharyngeal morphology of patients with persistent VPI was characterized by a short palate, wide-based and counterclockwise-rotated pharyngeal triangle, and posteriorly and superiorly positioned PPW. These might be contributory factors for the prediction of VPF before repushback surgery for cleft palate.