Three-dimensional cephalometric evaluation of maxillary growth following in utero repair of cleft lip and alveolar-like defects in the mid-gestational sheep model

Objective: To evaluate maxillary growth following in utero repair of surgically created cleft lip and alveolar (CLA)-like defects by means of three-dimensional (3D) computer tomographic (CT) cephalometric analysis in the mid-gestational sheep model. Methods: In 12 sheep fetuses a unilateral CLA-like defect was created in utero (untreated control group: 4 fetuses). Four different bone grafts were used for the alveolar defect closure. After euthanasia, CT scans of the skulls of the fetuses, 3D re-constructions, and a 3D-CT cephalometric analysis were performed. Results: The comparisons between the operated and nonoperated skull sides as well as of the maxillary asymmetry among the experimental groups revealed no statistically significant differences of the 12 variables used. Conclusions: None of the surgical approaches used for the in utero correction of CLA-like defects seem to affect significantly postsurgical maxillary growth; however, when bone graft healing takes place, a tendency for almost normal maxillary growth can be observed. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel

Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 3D printing Special Interest Group (SIG): Guidelines for medical 3D printing and appropriateness for clinical scenarios

Este número da revista Cadernos de Estudos Sociais estava em organização quando fomos colhidos pela morte do sociólogo Ernesto Laclau. Seu falecimento em 13 de abril de 2014 surpreendeu a todos, e particularmente ao editor Joanildo Burity, que foi seu orientando de doutorado na University of Essex, Inglaterra, e que recentemente o trouxe à Fundação Joaquim Nabuco para uma palestra, permitindo que muitos pudessem dialogar com um dos grandes intelectuais latinoamericanos contemporâneos. Assim, buscamos fazer uma homenagem ao sociólogo argentino publicando uma entrevista inédita concedida durante a sua passagem pelo Recife, em 2013, encerrando essa revista com uma sessão especial sobre a sua trajetória

The Cleft Palate And Lip: Embryology, Genetics, Environmental Influences, And Approaches To Surgical Repair

The cleft palate and lip is one of the most common birth defects that may or may not be syndromic. Clefting may manifest unilaterally or bilaterally with varying degrees of severity. In embryo, the upper and lower jaws were formed from the first brachial arches that descend from both sides and fuse. Many genetic loci and cell-signaling pathways have been identified with the fusion event, in which polar neural crest cells undergo the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Genetic mutations, environmental teratogens, and nutrition have been associated with the cleft palate and lip. The extracellular matrix has been extensively studied to understand cell-cell communication and is crucial in tissue engineering. The gold standard today for palatal reconstruction remains to be an autogenous graft from the anterior iliac crest. Autogenous bone grafts have many disadvantages such as donor site morbidity. New approaches in tissue engineering involving stems cells, growth factors, and biomaterial scaffolding have been identified to avoid autogenous bone grafts. Mesenchymal cells may be harvested from dental tissue and adipocytes. Three-dimensional printing and computer-aided design are becoming widely used in oral surgery. More research are underway to overcome the challenges in soft tissue reconstruction of the soft palate

Anatomical curve identification

Methods for capturing images in three dimensions are now widely available, with stereo-photogrammetry and laser scanning being two common approaches. In anatomical studies, a number of landmarks are usually identified manually from each of these images and these form the basis of subsequent statistical analysis. However, landmarks express only a very small proportion of the information available from the images. Anatomically defined curves have the advantage of providing a much richer expression of shape. This is explored in the context of identifying the boundary of breasts from an image of the female torso and the boundary of the lips from a facial image. The curves of interest are characterised by ridges or valleys. Key issues in estimation are the ability to navigate across the anatomical surface in three-dimensions, the ability to recognise the relevant boundary and the need to assess the evidence for the presence of the surface feature of interest. The first issue is addressed by the use of principal curves, as an extension of principal components, the second by suitable assessment of curvature and the third by change-point detection. P-spline smoothing is used as an integral part of the methods but adaptations are made to the specific anatomical features of interest. After estimation of the boundary curves, the intermediate surfaces of the anatomical feature of interest can be characterised by surface interpolation. This allows shape variation to be explored using standard methods such as principal components. These tools are applied to a collection of images of women where one breast has been reconstructed after mastectomy and where interest lies in shape differences between the reconstructed and unreconstructed breasts. They are also applied to a collection of lip images where possible differences in shape between males and females are of interest

Cleft-related nose deformation evaluation and measurement methods. Literature review

INTRODUCTION: Rhinoplasty for the cleft lip and palate patient is very challenging and surgical outcome of the nose is difficult to evaluate. Discussions of aesthetic evaluation of the nose in cleft lip and palate patients remain problematical. Many different nose aesthetic evaluation methods have been described in the literature; they differ even among articles published in a single year. AIM: To analyse the literature concerning aesthetic evaluation of the nose in cleft lip and palate patients and to identify the most objective method for such evaluation postoperatively. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The literature was reviewed using MedLine and PubMed sources dated between January 1996 and December 2014. In total, 118 full text articles in English language were selected. Exclusion criteria were: case reports, surgical reviews, literature review, and single evaluations of nasal function. RESULTS: Measurements were obtained from two-dimensional images in 73 articles. Noses were evaluated from 3D images in 22 and by clinical examination in 15. Other methods were evaluation from dental/facial casts, cephalometric evaluation, computer tomography and video recording. In 26 articles some combination of methods was used. CONCLUSIONS: The most popular evaluation method is still two-dimensional photography and measurements using anthropometric facial landmarks. Measurements from three-dimensional images seem to be the most objective method and automated facial anthropometric landmark protraction seems to hold promise for the future.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Assessment of regional asymmetry of the face before and after surgical correction of unilateral cleft lip

This study was carried out on 26 unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) cases with mean age 3.6 ± 0.7 months.3D facial images were captured for each infant 2–3 days before the repair of cleft lip and at 4 months following surgery at a mean age of 8.2 ± 1.8 months, using a stereophotogrammetry imaging system. An iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm was used to superimpose the 3D facial model to its mirror image using VRMesh software. After the superimposition, the face model was divided into seven anatomical regions. Asymmetry of the entire face and of the anatomical regions was calculated by measuring the absolute distances between the 3D facial surface model and its mirror image. Colour maps were used to illustrate the patterns and magnitude of the facial asymmetry before and after surgery. There were significant decreases in the asymmetry scores for the nose, upper lip and the cheeks as a result of the surgical repair of cleft lips. Surgery did not change the magnitude of the asymmetry scores for the lower lip and chin. The main outcome of the findings of this innovative study is to inform the required surgical refinement of primary repair of cleft lip in order to minimise facial asymmetry and to guide secondary corrective surgery. We have presented a sensitive tool that could be used for comparative analysis of lip repair at various cleft centres