Objective: To evaluate the effect of the timing of secondary alveolar bone graft (SABG) on craniofacial morphology in patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Design: Single-center retrospective assessment of consecutively treated nonsyndromic patients with complete UCLP. Participants: One hundred sixty-seven patients (108 males, 59 females) with complete UCLP in whom the cleft was repaired with 1-stage method at approximately 8 months of age. The age of 128 patients at SABG varied from 1.4 to 11.5 years (SABG group), while 39 patients still awaited SABG at the moment of cephalometric evaluation (no-SABG group). Methods: Craniofacial morphology was assessed on lateral cephalograms taken at 10 years of age (standard deviation = 0.8; range: 7.5-12.3) using linear and angular measurements. T tests and regression models were made to analyze data. Results: Regression models demonstrated that the effect of SABG on the craniofacial morphology was limited—cephalometric variables which were statistically significantly different between SABG and no-SABG groups showed no association with the timing of SABG when (1) age of primary repair of the cleft, (2) age of cephalometric evaluation, (3) cleft side, (4) gender, and (5) operator were controlled for. Only the length of the maxilla (Condylion-point A) was affected—1-year delay of SABG corresponded with an increase in Co-point A distance by 0.52 mm. However, adjusted R 2 of the model was 0.11. Conclusions: Our findings cautiously indicate that SABG performed before 8 years of age can have limited negative effect on craniofacial morphology. Nevertheless, our results should be confirmed by cleft centers practicing alternative surgical repairs of the cleft.

The aim of the research was to determine the effect of replacing part of a commercial feed mixture with whole wheat grain on the bodyweight, carcass composition and meat quality of Pekin ducks. A total of 160 1-day-old sexed SM3 Heavy hybrid ducks were used in the study. Two diets were given during the rearing period (36–49 days): (1) a complete commercial diet ad libitum, and (2) restricted amounts of a commercial diet (85%) and whole wheat grain (15%). Each treatment consisted of four replications of 20 birds each. Adding whole wheat grain to the ration resulted in no significant (P > 0.05) changes in bodyweight (3475.8 g), feed conversion ratio (0–49 days, 2.50 kg DM intake/kg liveweight gain) dressing percentage (70.1%) and carcass tissue composition in ducks at 49 days of age. Breast muscle (superficial pectoral muscle) from ducks fed the commercial diet and whole wheat grain was significantly (P < 0.05) lighter in colour (L* = 39.9 vs 38.0) and a deeper yellow colour (b* = 1.7 vs 0.8), as compared with that from birds receiving the complete commercial diet alone. Breast muscle (superficial pectoral muscle and profound pectoral muscle) also had significantly (P < 0.05) higher threonine (3.9 vs 5.1 g/100 g DM) and valine content (4.0 vs 5.0 g/100 g DM). However, leg muscle (thigh and drumstick muscles) from experimental ducks had a significantly (P < 0.05) lower content of crude fat (5.1% vs 4.2%) and collagen (1.5% vs. 1.1%), as well as less glutamic acid (14.2 vs 12.5), proline (3.5 vs 3.2), alanine (3.0 vs 2.5) and arginine (6.5 vs 5.6 g/100 g DM), as compared with the control birds.

Three years post-operatively, early alveolar bone grafting combined with rhinoplasty is favorable for facial esthetics in children with UCLP, but a longer follow-up is needed to assess whether the improvement was permanent.