Evaluation of presurgical infant orthopedics by the rhinoplasty appliance system with intraoral alveolar molding appliance in infants with bilateral cleft lip and palate: A preliminary study

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Rhinoplasty Appliance System (RAS) in improving alveolar arch morphology and nasolabial morphology in infants with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) before primary lip repair. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A multicentre prospective study was conducted on 20 non-syndromic infants with complete BCLP. Presurgical infant orthopaedics (PSIO) using RAS therapy was initiated within the first three-weeks of life and continued until primary cheiloplasty. Digital maxillary models and standardized extraoral photographs were obtained before and after the PSIO treatment. Study model analyses evaluated three-dimensional maxillary arch morphology, while extraoral photographs evaluated nasolabial parameters, including nostril width, columella height, prolabium height, nasal tip angle, and nasolabial angle. Reliability was tested using repeated measures, and descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were applied, with significance set at P