Assessment of Skeletal Maturation in Male Children With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the skeletal maturation in male children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) in comparison to that of noncleft peers using the cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) method. METHODS: A sample of 149 male UCLP patients aged from 8- to 16-year-old and 447 age-matched orthodontic individuals without clefts was retrospectively compiled. Cervical vertebral maturation was assessed based on the cephalometric radiographs. RESULTS: The proportion of children in CVMSI and CVMSII was higher in the UCLP group compared to that in the noncleft group, but there was no significant difference in the CVM stage of the cleft patients compared to their noncleft peers. In the 12- to 14-year-old group, children with UCLP showed significantly delayed skeletal maturity in comparison with their noncleft peers. No significant difference was found in the other 3 age groups. There was a statistically significant correlation between the skeletal age and chronological age in both the UCLP group and the noncleft group. There was no significant difference in the mean age at CVMII and CVMIII between the cleft patients and noncleft peers. CONCLUSIONS: Males with UCLP aged 12- to 14-year-old have a statistically significant increased risk of delayed skeletal maturity in comparison with their noncleft peers. The chronological age is not an accurate indicator to assess the degree of skeletal maturation.