What is the relapse after Le Fort I maxillary advancement in cleft lip and palate patients? A systematic review

Le Fort I osteotomy is the most common procedure for maxillary advancement in cleft patients, and a significant relapse is expected in the postoperative period. This study purpose is to evaluate the maxillary relapse and associated factors in cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients submitted to standard Le Fort I advancement. This systematic review sought studies in PubMed, SCOPUS, and Cochrane and included papers that evaluated the maxillary relapse with at least 1-year postoperative period. The quality assessment was adapted following PRISMA statement. The initial electronic search found 345 papers, and the final selection included 10 studies. In total, 275 CLP patients were evaluated 198 had unilateral CLP and 41 had bilateral CLP. Isolated maxillary advancement was performed in 166 patients, while 109 had bimaxillary surgery. The mean relapse in horizontal and vertical plane was 1.2 mm (19.7%) and 1.0 mm (29.4%), respectively. In conclusion, a relapse after maxillary advancement in patients with CLP is expected, being higher in vertical plane. Patients with UCLP and those who underwent bimaxillary surgery had a higher relapse rate. Due to the miscellaneous data and methodologies, future prospective clinical trials should apply rigorous selection of CLP patients sample and methods for variable analysis to obtain more accurate results.