This study was designed to analysis the airway which affects to breathing,´ speech, and facial growth pattern in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients. Upper airway and the position of hyoid bone pattern were analyzed on the lateral cephalometric radiographs of the 78 subjects of complete unilateral cleft lip and palate group and each group was divided two sub-groups by circumpubertal growth peak and gender. These data were statistically analyzed to examine the difference between pre-circumpubertal growth peak group and post-circumpubertal growth peak one, and between male and female group:
The results of this study were as follows:
1. After circumpubertal growth peak stage, the position of hyoid bone was lower than before in both male and female group.
2. After circumpubertal growth peak stage, the measurement were increased in CV3ia-APH , PNS-ad which related to the volume of pharyngeal space. This was due to the decrease of adenoid and anteroinferior growth of mandible and affected to breathing and speech after circumpubertal growth peak.
3. During circumpubertal growth peak stage, all measurements increased more in male than female group, which due to the different amount of growth in different gender.
4. The position of hyoid bone was lower in male than female group in all age group.
5. After circumpubertal growth peak stage, CV3ia-APH increased more in male. This was due to the more growth in madible of male which resulted in the activation of digastric muscle.
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