Long-term assessment of conventional and mini-screw–assisted rapid palatal expansion on the nasal cavity

ABSTRACT Objectives To evaluate the long-term effects of mini-screw–assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE), rapid palatal expansion (RPE), and controls on the nasal cavity with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods A total of 180 CBCT scans that were part of a previous randomized trial were evaluated retrospectively for 60 patients at pretreatment (T1), postexpansion (T2), and posttreatment (T3). Patients were randomly assigned into 3 groups: MARPE, RPE, and controls (time period T1 to T3; MARPE: 2 years 8 months; RPE: 2 years 9 months; control: 2 years 7 months). Nasal height, nasal length, nasion–ANS height, ANS–PNS length, pyriform height, and nasal septal deviation angle were measured. The changes in alar width, alar base width, anterior nasal cavity width, posterior nasal cavity width, maxillary intermolar width, and maxillary intercanine width were also evaluated. Results The alar base width, posterior nasal cavity width, anterior nasal cavity width, maxillary intercanine width, and maxillary intermolar width significantly increased (P < .05), and the nasal septal deviation angle significantly decreased (P < .05) in both the MARPE and RPE groups as compared with controls in the short term. In the long term, the nasal septal deviation angle was significantly decreased (P < .05) in the MARPE and RPE groups as compared with controls, and the posterior nasal cavity width was significantly increased (P < .05) in the MARPE group compared with the RPE group and controls. Conclusions MARPE and RPE led to a significant increase in the nasal cavity and alar base width compared with controls in the short term. In the long term, a significant increase was observed only in the posterior nasal cavity width with MARPE. Both MARPE and RPE led to a minimal decrease in nasal septal deviation angle in comparison with controls.

Clinical Evaluation of Surgical Orthodontic Procedure with Bone Grafts for Patients with Cleft Palate during Adolescence

Background: Cleft lip and palate is a congenital anomaly, presenting in a wide variety of forms and combinations. Successful cleft lip and cleft palate rehabilitation requires a multidisciplinary approach employing the skills of different specialists. Aims & Objectives: The aim of this paper was to present orthodontic preparation of patients prior to alveolar bone grafting & to review our findings in a group of patients treated by secondary and delayed bone-grafting procedures at our institution. Methodology: Thirty eight patients were examined for the type of cleft and the age at the time of examination. 10 patients were treated in our institution with presurgical orthodontics & operated by a delayed bone-grafting technique. Duration and type of expansion was noted at pre-operative, 2 months and 6 months. Crestal bone heights and the quality of the bone in the grafted areas was examined radiographically, along with presence of any fistulas. Results: All the patients demonstrated improved alar base and upper lip support, also better dental stability was seen in the region of cleft. Conclusion: All the patients included in this study appeared to benefit from the procedure with improved facial balance. In all ten patients the oronasal fistulas remained closed, hence was reported to be a success.

Neglected Nasal Foreign body discovered by Nasal Deformity: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Foreign bodies of the nose are mostly common in paediatric population. In teenagers and adults, they are predominately seen in patients with mental disturbances. Usually with acute presentation, they also can remain in place for a long time. The main clinical presentation is unilateral purulent rhinorrhea possibly associated, in chronic cases, to nasal deformities, nasomaxillary abnormalities or rhinolithes. The removal can require a surgical procedure under general anaesthesia specifically in front of neglected foreign bodies covered by mucosa or previous multiple failed attempts. We report the case of a 14-years-old girl, with mental retardation, who consulted in our structure for a swelling in the left nasal alar base evolving progressively since 4 months, with intermittent purulent rhinorrhea not improved after medical treatment. No incident of nasal foreign body insertion was reported or witnessed by the patient and its family. The facial CT scan confirmed the diagnosis and the removal required surgical procedure. The diagnosis of neglected nasal foreign body should always be considered in front of unilateral nasal obstruction and discharge specifically in children and mentally disabled patients. Its removal should be rapid in order to avoid the constitution of rhinolithes and nasal deformities.

Changes to the Cleft Nose Esthetic After Le Fort I Advancement: A 3-Dimensional Analysis

Background and Purpose: The study of nasal changes in cleft lip and palate (CLP) orthognathics is limited. This study aimed to determine differences in 3-dimensional (3D) nasal changes for unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) patients after Le Fort I advancement. Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort evaluation of 18 subjects (9 male, 9 female) treated at a single institution over a 5-year period who had class III skeletal and dentoalveolar malocclusion related to non-syndromic cleft lip and/or palate and underwent surgical correction via Le Fort I osteotomy. Patients underwent pre- and postoperative cephalometric measurements and 3D volumetric assessment for comparison to analyze nasal changes. Statistical analysis was performed to determine changes in nasal parameters using student’s t-test and multivariate analysis. Differences were considered significant for P-values ≤.05. Results: All nasal parameters except for nasolabial angle and nasal length changed significantly postoperatively in the entire cohort. Alar base and flare width both increased significantly (2.1 mm, P = .0002, 1.4 mm, P = .0005), while both relative and total tip projection decreased (−3.4 mm, P = .000004, −2.2 mm, P = .0008). An advancement of the entire nasal complex was seen postoperatively (1.0 mm, P = .0005). UCLP patients had a significantly larger decrease in total nasal tip projection following surgery relative to BCLP patients (−3.5 ± 1.2 mm, −0.8 ± 2.1 mm, P = .008). BCLP morphology increases the degree of 3D nasal surface area advancement relative to UCLP (1.2 mm ± 0.3, 0.8 mm ± 0.6, P = .028). Alar cinch stitch decreases nasolabial angle ( P = .024) but increases nasal length ( P = .004). Conclusion: Discrepancies exist in nasal changes after Le Fort I advancement between UCLP and BCLP patients. Increased understanding of outcomes for cleft patients undergoing Le Fort I can help improve the predictability of nasal esthetic changes in this patient population.

Effectiveness of the Nasal Creator Device after Cheiloplasty in Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate as Measured by 3D Stereophotogrammetry

Objective: To evaluate nostril morphology post-cheiloplasty after patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) use of the nasal creator device. Study Design: This is a prospective study. Sixteen patients with nonsyndromic UCLP treated at Khon Kaen University underwent cheiloplasty and then wear the nasal creator device for 6 months. Three-dimensional images were taken, from which 5 lines and 8 landmark points were evaluated prior to (T0) and 1 day (T1), 1 month (T2), 3 months (T3), and 6 months (T4) after cheiloplasty. A Repeated Measure ANOVA was used to evaluate nostril changes between time periods and a paired t-test was used to compare values between the affected and non-affected side at T4 (P < .05). Results: On the affected side, the nostril height significantly increased from T0 (2.46±0.89 mm) to T4 (4.22±1.03 mm), and the nostril width significantly decreased from T0 (9.46±2.57 mm) to T4 (7.34±1.41 mm). On the non-affected side, the nostril height significantly increased from T0 (3.39±0.78 mm) to T4 (4.65±1.07 mm), and the nostril width was not significantly different from T0 (6.00±1.25 mm) to T4 (6.59±0.95 mm). The alar base width was not significantly different between T0 (30.18±2.72 mm) and T4 (29.82±1.69 mm). Nostril height and width were not significantly different by T4 when comparing the affected and non-affected sides. Conclusion: Using nasal creator device for 6 months significantly increased the nostril height and decreased nostril width and alar base width after cheiloplasty.

A Single-Blinded Prospective Study on Using Botulinum Toxin Type A for Reducing Alar Mobility

Background With wide spread of instant social media, people desire a minimal invasive treatment to improve alar dynamic aesthetic but seldom practical procedures on reducing alar mobility have been conducted. Objectives This study aimed to verify effects of botulinum toxin on reducing nasal alar mobility and provide a supplemental treatment of rhinoplasty. Methods This single-blind and prospective study included a cohort of 20 participants with the desires of improving alar dynamic aesthetic. Experimental group was injected 3U botulinum toxin type A (Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Ltd, Lanzhou, Gansu, China) at dilator naris anterior, dilator naris vestibularis, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi and dilator naris, while control group were received equivalent saline. Standardized facial movement (from rest to maximum smile without revealing teeth) was recorded by three-dimensional imaging system. The changes between rest and maximum simile statuses represented alar mobility and generate by: MOBILITY=WIDTHsmile-WIDTHrestWIDTHrest×100%. Alar mobility and RMS (Root mean square) analysis were used for postoperative evaluations. Results In experimental group, alar flaring mobility decreased from 10.05±6.40% to 4.91±3.48% (P<0.05) and alar base mobility decreased from 16.83±5.69% to 12.50±4.89% (P<0.05) while no significant changes of alar mobility were found in control group. In RMS analysis, changes in experiment group were significantly higher than control group (P<0.05). Conclusions Botulinum toxin type A can effectively restrain alar mobility without any significant adverse events and improve alar dynamic esthetic, which can serve as minimal invasive method or supplemental treatment for rhinoplasty.

Three-Dimensional Analysis of Definitive Secondary Unilateral Cleft Rhinoplasty Using Cartilage Graft

Objective Three-dimensional assessment of nasal morphology in patients with unilateral cleft lip nose treated by cartilage graft augmentation. Design Retrospective study. Patients and Intervention Thirteen patients with unilateral cleft lip nose underwent definitive secondary rhinoplasty and postsurgical changes were examined using a three-dimensional (3D) laser scan. Main Outcome Measure Nasal dorsum length, nasal tip, alar width, and alar base width in frontal view; nasion depth, nasal tip projection, nasal dorsal angle, and nasal tip angle in lateral view; nostril width, nostril height, and nasal tip height in basal view were measured at preoperative (T1: within 6 months), short follow-up (T2: 2-10 weeks), and long follow-up (T3: 9-14 months). Results A significant change in alar width, alar base width, nostril width, and nostril height at the cleft side, nasal dorsum length, nasion depth, nasal tip projection, and nasal tip height was observed from T1 to T3 follow-up after rhinoplasty ( P < .05), whereas the nostril height at the noncleft side was also significantly increased at T2 follow-up but the mean change in height relapsed at T3 follow-up. Alar width, alar base width, and nostril width at the noncleft side, and nasal tip angle did not change significantly after surgery at any follow-up period. Conclusions 3D imaging evaluation after secondary cleft rhinoplasty demonstrated improved functional and aesthetic outcomes using a septal or conchal graft.