Introduction: Maxillary advancement may affect speech in cleft patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether preoperative velopharyngeal (VP) function and cleft type can predict VP function after a Le Fort I maxillary osteotomy.
Materials and methods: One hundred consecutive nonsyndromic cleft patients (54 females, 64 males) who underwent Le Fort I osteotomies were retrospectively evaluated. Pre- and postoperative VP function was assessed perceptually and instrumentally by a Nasometer. A five-point scale was used to rate velopharyngeal insufficiency symptoms (VPI 0-4). To assess reliability, 30 video recordings were re-evaluated.
Results: Preoperatively, 89% of patients had normal or insignificant VPI (0-1), and only 3% had moderate VPI (3). Postoperatively, 77% of patients had VPI values of 0-1 and 14% had moderate to severe VPI values (VPI 3-4). A positive correlation was found between pre- and postoperative VPI scores, whereas the cleft type did not affect speech results. Patients with a preoperatively normal VPI (0) were not at risk for postoperative velopharyngeal incompetence.
Conclusions: There was an overall significant negative change in speech after a Le Fort I osteotomy. At-risk patients presented with borderline (1) or more severe VPI (2 and 3) preoperatively.
Keywords: Cleft palate; Maxillary advancement; Osteotomy; Speech; Velopharyngeal function.
Copyright © 2018 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.