Cranial Base Angle, Amount of Palatal Tissue, and Nasopharyngeal Depth in Individuals with Clefts

  • James W. Schweiger

Abstract

Individuals with cleft lip and palate have been compared to individuals without cleft lip and palate in a number of investigations (3, 7, 8). Research has been concerned with the aspects of growth, occlusion, speech, hearing, and psychological factors associated with such variables. These studies have also investigated differences and similarities among various nasopharyngeal structures. Ricketts (9—11) studied the range of variation of the cranial base angle and pharyngeal depth in 20 normal subjects and four noncleft subjects with 'cleft-palate-type speech.' In the four noncleft subjects, the cranial base angle and nasopharyngeal depth were greater than in the normal group. Ricketts concluded that the cleft palate population might exhibit similar cranial base abnormalities. Other authors (2, 3, 7', 8) have reported no differences in cranial base angle or nasopharyngeal depth among individuals with unoperated cleft palates, operated cleft palates, and normals. An investigation by Brader (2) was undertaken to establish diagnostic criteria in the surgical and prosthetic treatment of cleft palate individ— uals. His working hypotheses were as follows: 1. Cleft palate subjects differ significantly from control subjects with respect to: a) Greater variation in angularity of cranial base is exhibited in cleft palate individuals. b) Size of aperture of nasopharynx in the anteroposterior and vertical dimensions is relatively greater in cleft palate individuals. 0) Adenoid tissue comprises a relatively small percentage of naso— pharyngeal area in cleft palate individuals. 2. Variations in morphology of the cranial base and associated pharyn— geal structures of cleft lip and palate individuals reside at the extreme ranges of variations found in the control group. 3. Range of morphological variations in the cranial base and associated pharyngeal structures found in the cleft group may be expressed quanti-Dr.
Published
1966-04-01
Section
Articles