On the Bone-Forming Capacity of Periosteal Flap in Surgery for Cleft Lip and Palate

The alveolar clefts of 63 patients, 54 with cleft of the primary and secondary palate and 9 with cleft of the primary palate only, were operated on by the maxillary periosteal flap technique introduced by Skoog (1965). A follow-up study showed that the periosteal flap formed a manifest bone bridge in 54% and a diffuse bridge in 22% whereas no bone formation was seen in 24%. Whether implantation of Surgicel® was performed in the same stage or omitted did not seem to affect bone formation, any more than it did the original width of the alveolar cleft.