Cephalometric assessment of changes in the upper airway after orthognathic surgery in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate sequelae treated at the «Dr. Manuel Gea González» General Hospital

Resumen

A cephalometric analysis of the upper airway in patients with cleft lip and palate sequelae who underwent orthognathic surgery was performed. The study aims to determine if changes in upper airway morphology occur. Study design: A retrospective, descriptive, open, comparative, and cross-sectional study with a sample of 28 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate sequelae (UCLPS) was performed. The study sample consisted of 50% male and 50% female patients whose ages ranged between 16 and 29 years of age and averaged 19.32 years. Measurements were made on pre- and post-surgical lateral headfi lms. A total of 672 cephalometric measurements were made. The study’s fi ndings indicate that changes in the upper airway after bone mobilization techniques in orthognathic surgery do exist. Statistical signifi cance was set at p < 0.05 and was met on three of the assessed variables: upper pharynx (p = 0.001), bony pharynx dimension (p = .000), and nasopharyngeal depth (p = .000).

Key words: Cephalometric analysis, upper airway, unilateral cleft lip and palate sequelae, orthognathic surgery, upper pharynx, bony pharynx dimension, nasopharyngeal depth.