A comparison of transverse and vertical pharyngeal flaps using electromyography and judgments of nasality

Previous studies have reported less than adequate speech results for vertical types of pharyngeal flaps with some patients. However, no controlled judgments of nasality have been reported for transverse pharyngeal flaps, and no comparative studies have been done. In this investigation, 21 listeners evaluated nasality in two groups of seven cleft palate patients. One group had had vertical pharyngeal flaps, while the other group had had transverse pharyngeal flaps. The possible relationship of observable electromyographic activity to nasality was also studied. The results indicated that perceptual ratings of postoperative speech in the two groups did not differ significantly. Also, because similar muscle action potentials were observed in both types of pharyngeal flaps, it was concluded that this activity was not a contributing factor in the judgments of nasality.