Finite Element Analysis of the Influence of the Z-Shaped Position of Cleft lip on the Postoperative Appearance

In traditional surgery for patients with secondary deformities of cleft lip, the skin is usually cut open, and forceps are used according to the position of the flap. However, this method cannot predict the postoperative effect before surgery, especially the changes in the patient's lip. Moreover, in surgery, the design of the surgical flap is also quite random, needing more quantitative standards for its position and size, which makes it impossible to optimize the surgical effect, resulting in the surgical effect relying on the surgeon's surgical level. In this study, we attempted to scan the patient's face using infrared scanning equipment, establish a three-dimensional model of the patient's face, and compare the postoperative effects under different surgical positions through finite element analysis, especially comparing the displacement of the affected labial peak point to find the optimal surgical plan. In this way, the authors can predict the surgical effect before cleft lip and cleft palate surgery so that patients can directly see the effect after surgery and choose the most suitable scheme.