The effect of maxillary advancement on articulation of alveolar consonants in cleft patients.

INTRODUCTION

Maxillary advancement may affect speech in cleft patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of maxillary advancement on Finnish alveolar consonants /s/, /l/, and /r/ in cleft patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-nine Finnish-speaking nonsyndromic cleft patients, who had undergone Le Fort I or bimaxillary osteotomies, were evaluated retrospectively Production of the Finnish alveolar consonants /s/, /l/, and /r/ was assessed from pre- and postoperative standardized video recordings by two experienced speech pathologists. McNemar's test was used in the statistical analyses. Kappa statistics were calculated to assess reliability.

RESULTS

The patients included 35 females and 24 males with CP (n = 12), UCLP (n = 31), and BCLP (n = 16). There was a significant improvement in /s/ and /l/ sounds after maxillary advancement (p = 0.039 and p = 0.002, respectively). The preoperative mean percentage of /s/ errors was 34%; postoperatively it was 20%. /L/ was misarticulated preoperatively by 34% of the patients and postoperatively by 19%. /R/ was misarticulated preoperatively by 47% of the patients and postoperatively by 42%. The level of mild articulation errors rose from 25% to 31%, while severe articulation errors decreased from 37% to 25%. The reliabilities were good.

CONCLUSION

When planning orthognathic surgery in cleft patients with maxillary retrusion and articulation errors, advancement of the maxilla might be a means for improving articulation of /s/ and /l/.