Clinical Research Directory

Safety and Efficacy of Bone Bioengineering Kit With Stem Cells for Alveolar Cleft Repair

The objective of this study is to compare the safety and efficacy of the bone tissue engineering kit-composed of 10⁶ mesenchymal stem cells derived from deciduous dental pulp combined with a collagen- and hydroxyapatite-based biomaterial-with secondary autogenous bone grafting for alveolar cleft closure in patients with cleft lip and palate. Individuals aged 6 to 11 years with unilateral pre- and transforamen cleft lip and palate who have an indication for bone grafting will be included. The study will be conducted in two stages. In Stage 1, patients will undergo surgery using only the bioengineering kit, and the primary outcome will be the average length of hospital stay after grafting with the engineering kit. In Stage 2, patients will be randomized to receive either the bioengineering kit treatment or the standard iliac crest bone graft surgery. In this stage, the primary outcome will be the success rate of the cleft lip and palate repair surgery, determined by the amount of bone formation in the alveolar cleft region, measured through volumetric analyses of computed tomography scans performed 12 months after grafting.

Early Intervention in Infants With Unrepaired Cleft Palate: Language, Palatal Function, and Articulation.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if teaching speech skills to infants with cleft palates, prior to palate repair, will help them to develop speech and language skills. It will also learn about whether the skills are linked to fewer speech sound difficulties when they start school. The main questions it aims to answer are: Do standard, early intervention techniques to promote language development, that are used in children who are late talkers, work in infants with cleft palates? Will infants with cleft palates increase the number of sounds they use after targeted intervention? Can infants attempt to make stop sounds, like b and p, after targeted intervention? Can infants with cleft palate learn new words more quickly when they are used with gestures? Participants will: Participate in a baseline evaluation of speech and language skills, either in person, or via Telehealth. Attend the clinic for twice-weekly visits, for six weeks, to learn techniques to help their infants develop their speech and language skills, in a group setting with other families of infants with cleft palate. Participate in a final evaluation of speech and language skills, either in person, or via Telehealth.

Clinical Application of Artificial Intelligence in New Borns With Cleft Lip and Palate

The goal of this observational study is to evaluate whether passive plate therapy using automated AI-designed devices can reduce cleft size in newborns with cleft lip and palate. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does AI-designed passive plate therapy reduce the cleft size between birth and primary surgery? (Primary aim) How does cleft size at the time of surgery compare between infants who received passive plate therapy and those who did not? (Secondary aim) Researchers will compare infants who received AI-designed passive plate therapy with those who received no presurgical therapy to determine whether the intervention leads to a greater reduction in cleft width. Participants will: Undergo intraoral scans at birth and again at the time of primary surgery, around 4 months of age. Receive either no presurgical intervention or be treated with AI-designed passive plates, depending on site-specific clinical practices

Time and Type Dependent Evaluation of Different Techniques for Correction of Cleft Maxillary Hypoplasia

Maxillary hypoplasia in CLP deformities results from congenital reduction in midfacial growth and the effects of the surgical scar from CLP repair.Turvey et al. suggested that this disproportionate jaw growth is the biologic consequence of prior surgical intervention for closure of the soft tissues and is not related to the congenital cleft deformity, Midfacial hypoplasia is commonly treated by performing conventional Le Fort surgery to displace the maxilla anteriorly and stabilization afterward with rigid fixation along with orthodontics treatment. . Midface hypoplasia cleft patient has the following characteristics: concave facial profile, inverted nasal tip, wide alar base, acute nasolabial angle, and excessive exposure of sclera. Intraoral findings are anterior and posterior crossbite, CLP, accentuated curve of Spee, Class III dental malocclusion, multiple missing teeth, oronasal communication, and residual cleft. Speech disturbances are also usually present due to velopharyngeal incompetency and oronasal communication.