3D assessment of lip scarring and residual dysmorphology following surgical repair of cleft lip and palate: a preliminary study.

Objective: To evaluate lip scarring and the three-dimensional (3D) lip morphology following primary reconstruction in children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) relative to contemporaneous noncleft data. Design: Retrospective, cross-sectional, controlled study. Setting: Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, University of Glasgow, U.K. Patients and participants: Three groups of 10-year-old children: 51 with UCLP, 43 UCL (unilateral cleft lip), and 68 controls. Methods: Three-dimensional images of the face were recorded using stereo cameras on a two-pod capture station, and 3D coordinates of anthropometric landmarks were extracted from the facial images. A novel method was applied to quantify residual scarring and the associated lip dysmorphologies. The relationships among outcome measures were investigated. Results: Residual lip dysmorphologies were more pronounced in UCLP cases. The width of the Cupid's bow was increased due to lateral displacement of the christa philteri left (cphL) in both UCL a...