Integrated life-sized solid model of bone and soft tissue: application for cleft lip and palate infants

The recent development of three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) and laser stereolithography has allowed the creation of life-sized skeletal models. The development of helical CT has enabled us to apply this method to very young children. However, skeletal models alone do not reveal the spatial relationship between soft tissue and bone in complicated craniofacial deformities. We have therefore developed a model that shows both soft and bony tissue by first using CT values that result in a model in which soft tissue is solid and bone is replaced by empty space. The space is then filled with plaster to represent the skeleton. This model also can provide baseline data for evaluating facial growth after surgical repair of clefts. Two infants with cleft lip and palate are presented to illustrate this method of creating an integrated solid model and its applications.