The reverse quad helix expander: easy access for bone graft manipulation in the cleft maxilla

Cleft-affected patients are characterized by a normal/almost normal posterior maxillary width and a severe anterior constriction of the maxilla in the mixed dentition period. The purposes of this paper were to present: two cases of unilateral cleft-affected patients treated with a reverse quad-helix appliance; and a new method for differential expansion of the premaxillary area of the palatal cleft using a reverse quad-helix expander, thus enabling improved access for the surgeons during secondary bone graft procedures. /// Orthodontic and Craniofacial Department, School of Graduate Dentistry, Rambam Health Care Campus and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine–Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. aizenbud@ortho.co.il