Skeletal and Dental Correction and Stability Following LeFort I Advancement in Patients With Cleft Lip and Palate With Mild, Moderate, and Severe Maxillary Hypoplasia.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates skeletal and dental outcomes of LeFort I advancement surgery in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) with varying degrees of maxillary skeletal hypoplasia. DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHOD: Lateral cephalograms were digitized at preoperative (T1), immediately postoperative (T2), and 1-year follow-up (T3) and compared to untreated unaffected controls. Based on the severity of cleft maxillary hypoplasia, the sample was divided into 3 groups using Wits analysis: mild: </=0 to >/=-5 mm; moderate: <-5 to >-10 mm; and severe: </=-10 mm. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-one patients with nonsyndromic CLP with hypoplastic maxilla who met inclusion criteria. INTERVENTION: LeFort I advancement. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Skeletal and dental stability post-LeFort I surgery at a 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: At T2, LeFort I surgery produced an average correction of maxillary hypoplasia by 6.4 +/- 0.6, 8.1 +/- 0.4, and 10.7 +/- 0.8 mm in the mild, moderate, and severe groups, respectively. There was a mean relapse of 1 to 1.5 mm observed in all groups. At T3, no statistically significant differences were observed between the surgical groups and controls at angle Sella, Nasion, A point (SNA), A point, Nasion, B point (ANB), and overjet outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: LeFort I advancement produces a stable correction in mild, moderate, and severe skeletal maxillary hypoplasia. Overcorrection is recommended in all patients with CLP to compensate for the expected postsurgical skeletal relapse.