Orthodontic treatment results following grafting autologous mandibular bone to the alveolar cleft in patients with a complete unilateral cleft.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze orthodontic treatment results following mandibular symphysis bone grafting and postoperative orthodontic treatment.

DESIGN

Randomized selection of 75 patients out of 308 with unilateral cleft of lip, alveolus, and palate, operated upon according to protocol between 1990 and 2008 in the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Goslon Yardstick rating changes of dental arch relationship. Significant agreement (p < .001) was observed between the two assessments carried out with an interval of 3 months (Cohen's kappa = .963, p < .001).

RESULTS

Following mandibular bone grafting and orthodontic treatment in 65.3% of the patients, the aim of treatment (Goslon Yardstick groups 1 and 2) had been achieved. The applied before/after Goslon allocations showed high improvement significance (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative orthodontic treatment in patients following grafting with mandibular symphysis bone showed excellent results.