Augmentation of the Median Tubercle with Dermis-Fat Graft in Children with Repaired Cleft Lip.

BACKGROUND: Deficiency of the median tubercle is a common residual deformity after repair of cleft lip. The purpose of this study was to analyze the change in labial contour after insertion of a dermis-fat graft.

METHODS: Patients with repaired cleft lip who underwent secondary dermis-fat grafting of the median tubercle between 2012 and 2015, along with preoperative and greater than or equal to 3-month postoperative three-dimensional photographs, were included. The photographs were registered to one another and measurements made before and after grafting using anthropometric landmarks. Outcome variables included the following: labial surface area, midline labial height (ls-sto), and lateral labial height (cphi-sto').

RESULTS: Twenty-five patients were included: 14 with unilateral and 11 with bilateral repaired cleft lip. Mean age at graft placement was 10.9 ± 3.2 years. Preoperative and postoperative three-dimensional images were taken at 13.6 ± 21.6 weeks before and 34.8 ± 25.1 weeks after the procedure, respectively. There were significant increases in labial surface area (11.5 percent; p = 0.019) and labial height (14.1 to 18.5 percent; p = 0.002) after grafting. Augmentation was greater in bilateral clefts (25.5 percent at midline and 16.8 percent laterally) compared with unilateral clefts (11.6 percent at midline and 12.5 percent on the grafted noncleft side). Intrarater and interrater reliability was excellent for all measurements.

CONCLUSION: Dermis-fat grafting significantly increases contour of the median tubercle in patients with repaired cleft lip.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.