Secondary Alveolar Bone Grafting (CLEFTSiS) 2007–2010

Objective To determine whether alveolar bone graft outcomes for unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate patients have continued to improve since the reorganization of cleft services in Scotland in 2000.Design Retrospective analysis of postoperative anterior occlusal radiographs. Patients and Participants: Eighty-one of 106 patients who were eligible for alveolar bone grafting between 2007 and 2010 had suitable postoperative radiographs available.Interventions Twenty-seven percent of the patients (n = 22) had presurgical orthodontic intervention. All patients underwent alveolar bone grafting with bone harvested from the iliac crest.Main Outcome Measures The Kindelan bone-fill index was used to evaluate success. Weighted kappa statistics were used to assess intra- and interobserver reproducibility. A comparison was made with results from 2000 to 2004 to assess any improvement. Chi-square tests (or Fisher exact test) were used to determine whether outcomes differed depending on the laterality of the cleft, use of presurgical expansion, or age at bone grafting.Result Interobserver scoring agreement was good (weighted kappa = .383). Intraobserver reproducibility was greater (weighted kappas of .835 and .620). Success was achieved in 99% of bone grafts, compared with 76% in the period from 2000 to 2004 (P < .001). There was no statistically significant relationship between the laterality of the cleft (P = 1.000), use of presurgical expansion (P = 1.000), or age at time of bone grafting and outcome (P = .259).Conclusion Scottish secondary alveolar bone graft outcomes improved during 2007 to 2010 in comparison to the 2000 to 2004 results.