Wu X, Kuang W, Liu G, Liu X, Yuan S, Zhang L, Huang C, Yuan W. Advanced or delayed? a retrospective study of skeletal maturation in children with a cleft lip and palate.
BMC Oral Health 2025;
25:374. [PMID:
40075336 PMCID:
PMC11899798 DOI:
10.1186/s12903-025-05715-x]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2025] [Indexed: 03/14/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The developmental patterns of children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) can affect the therapeutic effects. However, a consensus has not been reached on whether the development of children with CLP is delayed or advanced. We aimed to characterize the developmental patterns of children with CLP by skeletal maturation and to explore the relationship between skeletal maturation and dentition in children with CLP.
METHODS
This retrospective study included 425 children, aged 4-18 years, categorized into three groups: unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP, 157), bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP, 134), and non-cleft controls (NCLP, 134). Skeletal maturation stages were assessed using the 5-stage cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) method. Adenoidal and tonsil hypertrophy was also assessed based on cephalometric radiographs. Dentition stages were evaluated based on the eruption of mandibular teeth. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between CLP and skeletal maturation, adjusting for adenoidal and tonsil hypertrophy and sex. The children were further subgrouped by sex, cleft type, and age to examine developmental patterns and the relationship between skeletal maturation and dentition.
RESULTS
In both sexes, children with CLP exhibited delayed skeletal maturation at specific developmental stages compared to NCLP children, but eventually caught up to their non-cleft peers. This delay and subsequent catch-up occurred approximately three years earlier in girls with CLP than in boys. While dentition stages showed a strong correlation with CVM stages, the diagnostic utility of dentition for assessing skeletal maturation was found to be limited.
CONCLUSIONS
Children with CLP exhibit a delayed onset of the growth spurt, followed by a period of catch-up growth. Additionally, dentition stage should not be used as a surrogate marker for skeletal maturation when evaluating the developmental potential of children with CLP.
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