Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 28, 2025
Method of Studying Palatal Fusion using Static Organ Culture
Published on: September 19, 2015
Speech Outcome and Self-Reported Communicative Ability in Young Adults Born With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate:
Petra Peterson1,2,3, Jill Nyberg4, Christina Persson5
1Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Objective:
To compare speech outcome and self-reported speech and communicative ability (SOK) in young adults treated with one-stage (OS) or two-stage (TS) palatal repair. Furthermore, to compare with normative data on individuals without cleft lip and palate and to study the relationship between patients' and experts' judgments.
Design:
A cross-sectional group comparison study with long-term follow-up. Participants: Patients born with unilateral cleft lip and palate treated at 2 cleft centers; 17 with OS at 14 months and 25 with TS, soft palate repair at 7 months and hard palate repair at 6.2 years. Pharyngeal flap surgery was performed in 53% (OS) and 24% (TS) of patients.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Speech characteristics were blindly assessed by speech and language pathologist from audio recordings, SOK at 19 years of age.
Results:
No group differences were found. Although the occurrence of nasality symptoms was low in both groups, only 60% (OS)/65% (TS) were assessed with competent velopharyngeal function (VPC). Articulation proficiency (percentage of consonants correct [PCC]) was 91%/97%, the /s/-sound specifically 87%/91%. Good intelligibility was found in 91%/87%. Patient opinion was in agreement with norms and significantly associated with intelligibility (rs = 0.436, P < .01), PCC (rs = -0.534, P < .01), and correct /s/ (rs = -0.354, P < .05).
Conclusions:
No differences in speech outcome were related to operation method. The low prevalence of VPC was not clearly reflected in nasality symptoms. Patient opinion was related to articulation and intelligibility. A higher burden of care in terms of pharyngeal flap surgery was seen after the OS technique.
