Use of Nasal Conformer After Birth Effectively Improves Nostril Symmetry in Patients With Unilateral Incomplete Cleft Lip

An Innovative Technique of Presurgical Lip, Alveolus, and Nose Approximation (PLANA) for Infants with Clefts

The innovative technique of "presurgical lip, alveolus, and nose approximation" (PLANA) offers a new approach within the domain of presurgical infant orthopedics for infants born with cleft lip and palate. Presurgical lip, alveolus, and nose approximation introduces the utilization of the NoseAlign device in conjunction with medical adhesive tapes, designed to approximate and support displaced soft tissue nasolabial structures in patients with cleft, without an intraoral plate. The NoseAlign device, constructed from medical-grade silicone, consists of 2 tubular portions that fit into the nostrils, connected by a columella band. Notably, it also features a wave-shaped and curved horizontal lip band, resting on the upper lip, with elastic clasps for secure attachment to the face with medical adhesive tapes. Presurgical lip, alveolus, and nose approximation therapy employs the NoseAlign device to support the collapsed nasal alar rim and cartilage, the displaced columella, the deviated nasal septum, and the displaced nasal alar base. This innovative approach minimizes the need for frequent office visits, making it particularly suitable for patients residing at a distance from specialized cleft centers. The prefabricated NoseAlign device offers effective support to nasal structures, making it suitable for unilateral and bilateral clefts. Importantly, the absence of an intraoral plate ensures it does not interfere with feeding. Presurgical lip, alveolus, and nose approximation therapy, initiated as early as 1 to 2 weeks, leverages the plasticity of nasal soft tissue and cartilage to achieve the desired nasal form before primary surgery. Although presurgical lip, alveolus, and nose approximation therapy does have some limitations, particularly in cases of medially collapsed alveolar segments, its simplicity, universal applicability, and patient-friendliness make it a promising technique in the presurgical infant orthopedics field.

Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal of the Evidence Base for Nasoalveolar Molding (NAM)

OBJECTIVE

To critically appraise the body of scientific literature supporting the risks and efficacy of nasoalveolar molding (NAM), specifically in contrast to alternative methods of presurgical infant orthopedics (PSIO) or to treatment without PSIO.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Five outcome domains were considered: nasolabial aesthetics; dentoalveolar relationship; midfacial growth; cost and burden of care; and number of anesthetic events.

DESIGN

MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus were queried for articles from the first description of the Grayson-Santiago NAM technique (1993) through December 13, 2021. After the application of inclusionary and exclusionary criteria, selected articles were critically appraised using a systematic framework that included risk of bias assessment using the Cochrane RoB 2.0 and ROBINS-I tools.

RESULTS

A total of 88 studies were included. Level-I and -II evidence showed on par or better approximation and alveolar alignment achieved by NAM compared to other PSIO. Level-II and -III evidence showed improved nasolabial aesthetics compared to other PSIOs. Level-II and -III evidence supported no harm to maxillofacial skeletal growth through age 12. Sparse level-III evidence supported a reduced number of labial or nasal revisions following NAM. Level-II and -III evidence showed NAM requiring upfront cost and frequent appointments but reducing caregiver psychosocial burden and reducing long-term costs compared to select alternatives. Many studies carried a high risk of bias.

CONCLUSIONS

Current evidence supports the overall efficacy of NAM regarding short/mid-term outcomes, with a low risk of negative effects on midfacial growth or dental development. The high risk of bias discovered in many papers underscores the need for robust study design in future research.

Prevalence of Dental Anomalies in Taiwanese Children with Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of tooth agenesis, tooth malformation, and eruption patterns of upper canines/first premolars in Taiwanese children. A total of 132 cleft lip and cleft palate (CLCP) patients (82 boys and 50 girls) underwent alveolar bone grafting (ABG) between 2012 and 2022. The patients' dental records and X-ray images were inspected. We examined dental anomalies, including congenital missing teeth, microdontia, and transposition from the upper canines to the upper first premolars in these CLCP patients. Additionally, we investigated the mean ABG operation age (9.27 ± 0.76 years) of our patient; 40.9% of them received pre-ABG orthodontic treatment at 8.72 ± 0.70 years. Among the 132 cleft subjects, the prevalence of tooth agenesis is 73.5% (97/132). The most frequently missing teeth are the maxillary lateral incisors (right side: 46.2%; left side: 47.0%). In this study, microdontia are found in all the upper incisors, of which the highest percentage (18.9%) is observed in the upper left lateral incisors. The prevalence of upper canine and first premolar transposition is 10.6%. The pattern of tooth agenesis and microdontia of the upper lateral incisors shows a strong correlation with the cleft sites of these CLCP patients in our study. These results may support the idea that the patterns of dental anomalies in CLCP patients are region-specific.

Long-Term Comparison of the Aesthetic Outcomes between Nasoalveolar Molding- and Non-Nasoalveolar Molding-Treated Patients with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

BACKGROUND

The cleft lip-nose deformity in unilateral cleft lip and palate is one of the most challenging problem for surgeons to correct. Although nasoalveolar molding has been shown to be effective in improving presurgical symmetry in patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate, there is need for better evidence regarding the long-term nasolabial aesthetics of patients who have received this therapy.

METHODS

Thirty-eight patients treated with nasoalveolar molding and 48 patients not treated with nasoalveolar molding (but otherwise treated similarly) with unilateral cleft lip and palate were studied to assess and compare the nasolabial aesthetics. The objective evaluation of the nasal symmetry was performed on the basal view of two-dimensional photographs and the subjective nasolabial aesthetic evaluation was performed using the Asher-McDade scale.

RESULTS

At 5-year postoperative follow-up, nasoalveolar molding group patients had better mean values on the objective scores; however, these were not statically significant. The nasoalveolar molding group of patients had a statistically significant improvement in the subjective evaluation in comparison to the non-nasoalveolar molding-treated patients. The number of lip revisions was also statistically higher in the non-nasoalveolar molding-treated group of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In this retrospective, single-center study, the authors found that at 5-year postoperative follow-up, nasoalveolar molding-treated patients had improved nasolabial aesthetics and fewer revision operations. These are, however, preliminary results and the patients will be followed up until the end of growth to assess the longer term effects of nasoalveolar molding on the nasolabial aesthetics in unilateral cleft lip and palate.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, III.