Distraction or orthognathic surgery for cleft lip and palate patients: which is better?

Maxillary deformities of cleft lip and palate (CLP) can be treated by either conventional osteotomies (CO) or distraction osteogenesis (DO). Which one is better for CLP patients suffering from a moderate extent of maxillary hypoplasia? The aim of the study was to evaluate the treatment outcomes of CO and compared with DO in correction of moderate maxillary hypoplasia. The results showed that CLP patients receiving DO were more anxious and depressed during the first three months but became happier in the long-term. The nasalance of DO and CO was found to be similar. However, on the skeletal stability, DO was shown to be significantly more stable when compared with CO in the horizontal plane within the first six months and in vertical plane during the first three months and between 1-2 year.