In order to find the causes of velopharyngeal incompetency after primary palatorrhaphy in cleft patients, we analyzd the form and function of the velopharyngeal space of fifteen operated cleft palate patients and five normal subjects. The
velopharyngeal
function was evaluated by lateral cephalometeric radiography. velopharyngography and hypernasality cul-de-sac test.
@ES The obtained results were as follows.
@EN 1. The rate of velopharyngeal incompetency was twenty percent, three of the fifteen operated patients. Two of them were complete cleft palate and the other was incomplete one.
2. The length of soft palate and levator eminence were longer in normal group than those of good speech group and complete cleft palate group during phonation of /i/ (P<0.05). the lengthening rate of soft palate was smaller in good and poor
speech
group than that of normal group (P<0.05).
3. The nasopharyngeal ditance had no significant difference between all groups at rest, but, smaller in normal group than that of both cleft palate group (P<0.05), good speech group and poor speech group (P<0.05) during phonation of /i/. The
difference
in nasopharyngeal distance between rest and /i/ phonation was greater in normal group than that of both cleft palate group, good speech group and poor speech group.
4. The moving distance of soft palate reduced in order, normal group, incomplete cleft palate group, complete cleft palate group (P<0.05).
5. The distance between lateral pharyngeal wall had no significant difference between all groups in rest, but, smaller than that of completer cleft palate group in normal group (P<0.01) and increased in order normal group, good speech group,
poor
speech group (P<0.01) during phonation of /a/. The mobility of lateral wall was reduced in order, normal group, good speech group poor speech group (P<0.01).
6. There was low corelationship between the mobility of lateral pharyngeal wall and soft palate. Therfore, it suggest that the movements of lateral pharyngeal wall and soft palate occurs independantly.
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