Assessment of stability of maxillary advancement using the distraction method in patients with cleft lip and palate

Treatment of patients with maxillary hypoplasia caused by congenital cleft lip and palate (CLP) is still urgent up to date. Maxillary advancement using the distraction method is generally accepted, but the stability of this procedure remains controversial. Objective. To analyze and summarize the published materials on the assessment of stability of maxillary hypoplasia treatment using the distraction method in patients with CLP. Material and methods. A search for publications on the selected study topic in the MEDLINE and PubMed electronic databases was performed. The search was done by the following keywords: «cleft lip and palate», «maxillary hypoplasia», «distraction osteogenesis», «stability», «relapse», «RED», «intraoral distraction device» in Russian and English. Results. The study included 13 publications, and most of them showed stable results of treatment using the distraction method. The relapse rate was lower in the distraction osteogenesis group than in the traditional orthognathic surgery group after 5-year follow-up. Long-term stability of maxillary advancement after orthognathic surgery was higher in studies on the application of internal distractors than in the use of RED device. Conclusion. Maxillary advancement in patients with CLP using distraction method is a stable treatment method.