In patients with unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate (U-CLAP), wide clefts negatively affect facial aesthetics, alveolar alignment, and speech. Although various presurgical orthopedic devices have been used, none reliably achieve substantial cleft narrowing. This study introduces the Super-Passive Alveolar Correcting Equipment (SPACE), a molar-supported passive plate that significantly reduces cleft width, narrowing the mean alveolar gap to 1.87 mm before surgery (n = 83). SPACE enabled a one-stage repair - lip repair, gingivoperiosteoplasty, and palatoplasty - performed at approximately 6 months of age. All patients underwent the one-stage procedure, with no oronasal fistulas observed. Among them, 56 complete U-CLAP patients were assessed using six linear measurements from dental casts obtained at the initial visit, before surgery, and at 1 year. Five-year outcomes included evaluations of maxillofacial growth (via lateral cephalometry), need for secondary alveolar bone grafting (SBG), and speech development. At age 5, cephalometric values were comparable between the SPACE one-stage (SOG) and the conventional Hotz multistage groups (HMG), except for U1-NF. The SBG avoidance rate with the SOG was 38.6 %. Malarticulation occurred in 14.6 % of the SOG patients, versus 42.2 % for the HMG. SPACE provides reliable presurgical cleft narrowing and facilitates a simplified one-stage protocol with favorable mid-term outcomes.
Aim: Conservative treatment of pediatric condyle fractures remains the generally accepted norm even today. However, longterm results of conservatively treated displaced pediatric condyle fractures often display adverse effects on the affected temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and also on the growing facial skeleton. We analyzed results of surgical treatment in pediatric intraarticular condyle fractures.
Patients and methods: Children with displaced intraarticular condyle fractures were treated surgically, with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). The articular disc was addressed in each case. Postoperatively, patients were controlled at 1 week, 1 month, 3-6 months, and yearly thereafter. Facial symmetry, maximal mouth opening (MMO), maximal lateropulsions, lateral chin deflection, TMJ pain, condylar translation, palpable pathological phenomena, occlusion and postoperative scars were assessed clinically. Fracture healing, condylar height, shape and growth were assessed radiologically. Possible surgical complications were also noted.
Results: From 2016 through 2022, 14 children with 19 displaced intraarticular condyle fractures were treated surgically, of whom 11 children with 16 fractures enrolled in the survey. In all the fractures, the TMJ was opened, and all the fractures save one reduced and fixed. In 5 fractures (31 %), the articular disc was displaced and ruptured, and was reduced and sutured. The age range was 4-12 years (average 9.7 years). Follow up time was 2-8 years (average 5.1 years). All of the patients maintained proper occlusion and MMO. Only one patient with ORIF developed mild facial asymmetry, limited condylar translation, and limited contralateral lateropulsion of the mandible. In the patient where only exploration was performed, the condyle grew angulated (20O anteromedially) and its translation is slightly limited. In all the other patients, symmetrical growth and TMJ mobility were achieved. None of the patients presented with chewing difficulties or joint pain. There were 2 cases of postoperative facial nerve weakness, both of which completely resolved in 2 and 4 weeks. In 1 patient, the lag screw was removed after 2 months because of protrusion into the joint space. In another, a reoperation was performed 2 days after the initial surgery due to fragment malposition. No other intra- or postoperative complications were noted.
Conclusion: Surgical treatment of displaced intraarticular pediatric condylar fractures restores skeletal and soft-tissue anatomy and thereby enables unaltered TMJ function and symmetrical growth of the condyles and the entire facial skeleton.

