Morphometric Analysis of Fossa Navicularis Magna in Patients with Cleft Palate: A Cone Beam Computed Tomographic Study

Background: The present study investigated the prevalence and morphometric characteristics of fossa navicularis magna (FNM) in cleft palate/lip patients using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 400 CBCT scans of cleft palate/lip subjects aged between 10 and 39. The image sections were scrutinized for the presence and the shape of FNM. Axial and sagittal sections were examined to determine the length, depth, width, and volume of FNM. Two independent examiners evaluated FNM, considering age groups and gender. Results: This study included 400 CBCT scans from 208 males (52%) and 192 females (48%). The mean age was 17.78±4.1 years. FNM was more common among the female cleft palate/lip population (53.1%) and among subjects aged 10–19 years (group A), with no significant association (P>0.05). We observed a statistical difference between the length (P=0.033), width (P=0.025) and volume (P=0.037) of FNM among subjects aged 10–19 years. Considering the difference between genders, the length of FNM (P=0.011) was significant among the female cleft palate/lip population. Considering the shape of FNM, the oval form (69.8%) was more frequent than the round form (30.2%). Conclusion: In the present study, FNM was observed in 24% of the cleft palate/lip population, which is comparatively higher than the previously reported incidence of FNM among the general (non-cleft) population. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first study to evaluate and systematically assess the morphometric characteristics and volume of FNM among cleft palate/lip patients.