The influence of the surgical protocol for cleft lip and palate closure on the craniofacial and myofunctional characteristics of cleft patients

Many different surgical protocols have been proposed for the closure of the hard palate in order to minimize maxillary growth restriction and achieve normal speech in patients with cleft lip and/or palate. The change in surgical protocol in University Hospitals Leuven in 2012 and the availability of systematic 6-years-old outcome records provide a unique opportunity to evaluate and compare the effect of both protocols on the occlusal, craniofacial and aesthetic characteristics of cleft lip and/or palate patients. The musculature is an important factor in relaps after orthodontic treatment, but there is limited research on the peri- and intra-oral musculature in patients with cleft lip and/or palate. Therefore, it is very useful to investigate the myofunctional characteristics in cleft patients. After all, these patients undergo an extensive orthodontic treatment in which the preservation of the result is very important.