Quantitative Assessment of Cleft Volume and Evaluation of Cleft’s Impact on Adjacent Anatomical Structures Using CBCT Imaging

To determine pre-operative cleft volume and evaluate cleft´s impact on surrounding anatomical structures in children and adolescents with orofacial clefts using cone bean computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. The present retrospective study retrieved CBCT examinations of 68 patients from a previous study. The examinations had been exposed either before (n = 53) or after (n = 15) alveolar bone grafting. Pre-operative volume of cleft was determined, and type and location were evaluated. Morphological changes on the adjacent anatomical structures, including the incisive foramen, the nasal septum and floor, and the inferior turbinate, were assessed. Mean bilateral cleft volume was 0.76 cm3, while mean unilateral cleft volume was 1.08 cm3; the difference was significant (p < 0.001). Variation in cleft volume, however, was large. The incisive foramen was not visible in the majority of cases with bilateral clefts (71