A comparison of craniofacial growth in normal and cleft palate rhesus monkeys

In an attempt to better understand the etiology of middle ear disease in humans with cleft palate, a rhesus monkey model was developed. In this study, the model was extended to deal with the specific problem of otitis media in infants with cleft palate. Fifteen rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta, were utilized in the present investigation. Soft palate clefts were surgically produced in ten of the subjects, and five served as unoperated controls. Longitudinal data on middle ear status and craniofacial growth were collected until an approximate age of 2 years. Comparisons of linear regression coefficients representing size and rates of growth of craniofacial dimensions were made between operated and control group animals. No significant (p less than .05) differences were found between the groups. It is concluded that surgically produced clefts of the soft palate alter middle ear function and produce ear disease but do not change the rates of growth of the measured components of the craniofacial complex.