Maxillary growth after palatal surgery. An experimental study on dogs

Maxillary growth after unilateral closure of surgically induced defects in the hard palate in 6- to 8-week old Beagle puppies was studied. The hard palate except for a 4 mm wide strip of bone in the midline and with its overlaying oral mucoperiosteum was removed. On one side the nasal mucoperiosteum was covered with an autogenous full-thickness skin graft (side SGS) and, on the other side the raw surface (side RS) was left for secondary epithelialization. The animals were killed at 47 to 52 weeks of age. Measurements on the dried skulls of the experimental dogs showed no difference in total maxillary length between the two sides of the maxilla. However, the posterior half of the maxilla was longer in 8 dogs on side SGS and the anterior half of the maxilla was in 7 dogs long on side RS. The palatine suture was displaced towards side RS on all dogs, and the height of the nose was in all dogs greater on side SGS. There was a small consistent tendency that the overall growth was more pronounced on the side with the full-thickness skin graft. It is concluded that reducing the amount of scar tissue by covering raw surfaces with an autogenous full-thickness skin graft is one way to reduce maxillary growth impairment after palatal surgery.