Cleft Laterality- A Review

Laterality in unilateral facial cleftshas been shown to follow non-random patterns and to influence morphology, surgical complexity, functional outcomes, and psychosocial adjustment. This review surveys existing literature to describe the existing knowledge about laterality- epidemiology, developmental and genetic underpinnings, morphological and functional consequences, implications for surgery and long-term outcomes. We conclude that though the leftsided unilateral clefts are more frequent, the side of cleft has meaningful, though often subtle, impact on outcomes. Recognizing laterality in clinical reporting, surgical planning, and research design is important, and future studies should more consistently stratify by side.