Objective To evaluate the impact of orthognathic surgery on acoustic nasalance of subjects with cleft and investigate the causes of possible changes by analyzing velopharyngeal function and nasal patency. Design/Patients Nasalance was measured in 29 subjects with operated cleft palate ± lip before (PRE) and 45 days (POST1) and 9 months (POST2) after surgery, on average. In 19 of the patients, the minimum velopharyngeal (VP) and nasal cross-sectional (N) areas were also determined. Interventions Le Fort I osteotomy with maxillary advancement in combination with procedures involving the nose, maxilla, mandible or all three. Main Outcome Measures Nasalance, VP area, N area. Results We observed: (1) a significant (p < .05) increase in mean nasalance at POST1 and POST2, compared with PRE during the reading of oral sentences and nasal sentences; at POST2, high nasalance on the oral sentences was observed in 45% of the patients with normal nasalance at PRE, and 57% of patients with low nasalance on the nasal sentences at PRE no longer presented abnormal nasalance; (2) a significant increase in mean VP area at POST1; two borderline patients demonstrated deterioration of VP closure at POST2, compared with PRE; and (3) a significant increase in mean N area at POST2, with 73% of patients no longer presenting subnormal areas seen at PRE. Conclusions On a long-term basis, orthognathic surgery modifies speech nasalance of some subjects with cleft, perhaps because of an increase in internal nose size. This may also improve nasal patency for breathing.

On a long-term basis, orthognathic surgery modifies speech nasalance of some subjects with cleft, perhaps because of an increase in internal nose size. This may also improve nasal patency for breathing.

No abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate 4 methods of osteosynthesis in the maxilla after a linear advance of 11 mm. Methodology: Le Fort I osteotomies were performed on 24 resin models and different osteosynthesis were applied in the anterior region. Group I received Lindorf plates; group II, modified Lindorf plates; group III, inverted ''T'' plates; and group IV, ''L'' plates. All groups received ''L'' plates in the posterior region. Analysis were performed through universal mechanical testing machine with an axial linear load until 5-mm displacement. The data obtained about the force and the amount of deformation were computed, thus the energy required for displacement and stiffness was calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using 2-way analysis (Shapiro-Wilk, followed by Holm-Sidak) (P < 0.05). Results: Groups I and II showed greater resistance to displacement (P < 0.05) than the other groups. The largest amount of maximum force exerted for the 5-mm displacement was in group II (91.73 N), followed by group I (87.46 N), presenting the best values in comparison with the other groups (P < 0.001). Group III had less stiffness (P < 0.001) than the other groups. Conclusions: The use of preclinical methodologies to verify the mechanical stability of fixation models allows a prediction in the choice of greater resistance systems. The fixation type with greater resistance to deformation was achieved with modified Linford plates followed by Linford plates in the anterior region and plate ''L'' bilaterally in the posterior region.