Application of retropositioning combined with Buccinator myomucosal island flap for congenital cleft palate.

Congenital cleft palate causes a serious obstacle to children with regard to language and eating function. The aim of the current study was to examine the clinical application of a type of palatoplasty that has a reduced impact on the maxillary growth and good function in velopharyngeal competence. A total of 37 patients with cleft palate were treated with retropositioning combined with Buccinator myomucosal island flap. The patients were successfully treated in the first phase and were followed up for 1-3 years. Speech intelligibility was satisfactory and no fistula occurred. In conclusion, the results suggested that retropositioning combined with the Buccinator myomucosal island flap may restore normal anatomic structure and location of the , obtain good velopharyngeal competence, and decrease the incidence rate thereof. Thus, retropositioning combined with the Buccinator myomucosal island flap is a functional procedure for cleft palate repair.