OBJECTIVETo evaluate facial morphology characteristics of patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate (UCCLP) after cleft palate repair in different periods.

METHODS46 nonsyndromic UCCLP patients were chosen as test group and divided into three kinds (under 4-year-old, 4-7-year-old, over 7-year-old) according to periods of palate repair. 38 age and gender matched non-clefts children were involved as control group. 26 cephalometric measurements were measured to evaluate facial morphology of four groups.

RESULTSCompared with patients who received palate repair before 4-year-old, patients who received repair after 4-year-old had more protrusive ANS point (Ba-N-ANS, Ba-ANS) and less Y-axis angle. Patients who received palate repair after 7-yesr-old had greater A-PMP and ANS-PMP than patients who received palate repair before 4-year-old, patients who received palate repair before 7-year-old had smaller ANS-Me but after had no significant difference when compared with non-clefts.

CONCLUSIONWhenever palate repair is undertaken in the period of maxillary growth and development, patients' maxillary growth would be restrained, the delayed repair sample have better lower face height, maxillary protrusion, maxillary sagittal length and mandible growing direction when compared with the early repair sample, that is to say, the delayed repair sample have preferable head-face morphology.