[A cephalometric study of the craniofacial morphology in adult patients with unoperated cleft palate.].
PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of cleft palate on the craniofacial morphology in adult patients with unoperated cleft palate by cephalometric analysis. METHODS: X-ray cephalometry was used for the study of craniofacial morphology carried out in 7 male and 8 female patients with unoperated cleft palate. Pointing measurements were done with the methods of Downs and Steiner. The data of the cephalometric measurements were compared with that of Guangxi native normal adults by t test. RESULTS: The unoperated cleft palate patient,s SNA,ANS-Ptm(FH) and L1-MP were smaller or shorter than those of normal group while Po-NB was longer. There was significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05 or 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The deformities of adult patients with unoperated cleft palate were mainly considered to be that the anterior and posterior length of maxilla show hypoplastic while the vertical height of the maxilla the length of anterior cranial fossa and mandible was normal. But the retrusion of alveolar mandible led to chin protrusion.