Methods: 165 nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate patients were treated according to the Rambam Health Care Campus, craniofacial center treatment protocol, and were retrospectively evaluated by means of a composite cephalometric analysis. This included 15 parameters derived from Mc Namarra Steiner and Ricketts' analysis .The cephalometric measurements were compared with those of a matched control noncleft group (n=32) with skeletal class I malocclusion . The cleft group was further subdivided into three subgroups according to the cleft type. Statistical analysis included means and standard deviation of the 15 parameters measured, the parametric Mann Whitney rank sum test and Pearson correlation coefficient between the above cited parameters
Results: The cleft group craniofacial characteristics included a significant bimaxillary retrusion as depicted by reduced SNA and SNB angles (p=0.0011, p=0.044) and the unaffected ANB angle. A significant backward position of A point (p<0.0001) and Pog (p<0.0001) confirmed this tendency. The linear measure from the upper first Molar to PTV was significantly reduced (p=0.0001). A clockwise mandibular growth direction was confirmed by a significant increased lower facial height (p=0.0001) and a significant higher facial axis angle (p=0.015). For each of the subgroups a specific morphology was described: SNB remained unaffected for the unilateral cleft lip and palate subgroup, ANB was enlarged for the bilateral cleft palate subgroup; submucous cleft palate and cleft palate subgroup exhibited a significant shorter anterior cranial base (p=0.03), a significant reduced midfacial length (p=0.003 for Co-A) and an unaffected position of Pog to NA perpendicular.
Conclusion: The craniofacial patterns described for the Israeli population were similar to those reported for other cleft populations in previous studies. A dramatic impact on the maxillary growth potential was prominent in all cleft subgroups.