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A morphometric analysis of developmental instability in children born with unilateral cleft lip and palate

Kristyna Ceuninck1, John M Starbuck1

  • 1Department of Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.

Clinical Anatomy (New York, N.Y.)
|September 26, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) exhibit increased fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in their facial skeletons. This developmental instability is most pronounced near the nasal aperture, offering insights for clinical treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Craniofacial development
  • Developmental biology
  • Medical imaging analysis

Background:

  • Unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) is a congenital condition arising from incomplete fusion of facial structures during embryonic development.
  • Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) represents random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry, indicating disruptions in developmental stability.
  • FA can be influenced by genetic, environmental, or unknown factors affecting an organism's development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether individuals with UCLP exhibit higher levels of facial skeletal fluctuating asymmetry (FA) compared to controls.
  • To identify specific facial regions where FA is most prominent in UCLP patients.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) scans from 24 children and adolescents with UCLP and 24 age- and sex-matched controls (ages 7-17).
  • Measured 23 anatomical landmarks to calculate 81 pairs of linear distances for FA estimation across the face.
  • Employed principal components analysis and Euclidean Distance Matrix Analysis (EDMA) with bootstrapping for statistical comparison.

Main Results:

  • The UCLP group demonstrated significantly larger magnitudes of FA across all significant measurements compared to controls.
  • Multivariate analysis showed some separation between UCLP and control groups, with 44.44% of FA differences being statistically significant.
  • The highest magnitude of significant FA was observed in facial regions derived from the maxillary and nasal prominences, particularly the nasal aperture.

Conclusions:

  • Individuals with UCLP exhibit increased fluctuating asymmetry in their facial skeletons, suggesting compromised developmental stability.
  • The findings highlight the nasal aperture as a key area affected by developmental instability in UCLP.
  • Results provide valuable information for clinicians in planning and executing treatment strategies for UCLP patients.

Keywords:
Euclidean Distance Matrix Analysiscone-beam computerized tomographyfluctuating asymmetrygeometric morphometrics

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