Background: The most frequently reported facial clefts are clefting of the palatine bone and the alveolar process of the maxilla. In 75% of the cleft lip and palate occurrences, the cleft runs through the alveolar ridge.

Objectives: The present study attempts to evaluate the management of secondary alveolar cleft defects by intermediate secondary and late secondary alveolar bone grafting with reference to improvement in signs and symptoms, graft take up and donor site morbidity.

Materials and methods: Ten patients were studied, 4 males and 6 females. Out of ten patients only one patient had bilateral alveolar cleft and remaining six cases had unilateral alveolar clefts. Nine patients were treated with graft procured from iliac bone crest and remaining one case, with graft procured from mandibular symphyseal region. Post operatively all the patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically.

Results: Postoperative assessment which included graft take up, improvement in clinical signs, i.e. , alar asymmetry, alveolar ridge contour, position of impacted tooth, oro-nasal fistula and bone support to adjacent teeth was found to be satisfactory with no complications.

Conclusion: Patients were evaluated clinically and radiologically and all of them have benefited from the procedure.

Key words : alveolar cleft; iliac crest bone graft; Kindelan’s scale