Morphometric Evaluation of the Greater Palatine Foramen in Patients With Cleft lip and Palate (CLP) and Controls: A CBCT Study.

Objective: This study aimed to use cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans to compare the morphometric characteristics of the greater palatine foramen (GPF) in unilateral and bilateral cleft lip/palate patients (CL/P) and non-cleft (NC) individuals.

Method And Material: One hundred patients with CL/P (78 unilateral and 22 bilateral) and 100 non-cleft individuals had their GPF morphometrically assessed in CBCT images. The antero-posterior width and medio-lateral width of the GPF, the distance between the right and left GPFs, the mesio-distal location of the GPF with respect to the molar teeth, the distance between the GPF and the hamulus of the medial pterygoid plate, and the distance between the GPF and the palatine alveolar ridge were measured on these images. The Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests were employed to ascertain if there were any notable disparities across the 3 groups.

Results: The GPF's antero-posterior width and medio-lateral width, and distance from the hamulus and palatine alveolar ridge were considerably smaller in the unilateral cleft lip/palate (UCL/P) and bilateral cleft lip/palate (BCL/P) patients than in the NC individuals. However, no significant difference was observed between the BCL/P and UCL/P groups in terms of these parameters. The distance between GPFs and the location of the GPF did not exhibit any significant differences among the 3 groups.

Conclusion: Certain morphometric parameters of the GPF were significantly different in CL/P patients. Understanding the anatomy of this area is crucial for successful treatment of individuals with CL/P with minimal complications.