Electrospun poly(d/l-lactide-co-l-lactide) hybrid matrix: a novel scaffold material for soft tissue engineering

Electrospinning is a long-known polymer processing technique that has received more interest and attention in recent years due to its versatility and potential use in the field of biomedical research. The fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) electrospun matrices for drug delivery and tissue engineering is of particular interest. In the present study, we identified optimal conditions to generate novel electrospun polymeric scaffolds composed of poly-d/l-lactide and poly-l-lactide in the ratio 50:50. Scanning electron microscopic analyses revealed that the generated poly(d/l-lactide-co-l-lactide) electrospun hybrid microfibers possessed a unique porous high surface area mimicking native extracellular matrix (ECM). To assess cytocompatibility, we isolated dermal fibroblasts from human skin biopsies. After 5 days of in vitro culture, the fibroblasts adhered, migrated and proliferated on the newly created 3D scaffolds. Our data demonstrate the applicability of electrospun poly(d/l-lactide-co-l-lactide) scaffolds to serve as substrates for regenerative medicine applications with special focus on skin tissue engineering

Neurosensory disturbance after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy

Abstract Neurosensory disturbance is a common complication of bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO). This study focuses on the evaluation of factors affecting neurosensory disturbance after BSSO. Furthermore, the study focuses on the measurement of neurosensory disturbance with easily available bedside tests, not only on evaluating the state of sensory disturbance at each follow-up, but also on predicting the potential for recovery. Moreover, panoramic radiography, computerized tomography (CT) and conventional spiral tomography are assessed on locating the mandibular canal. The study was carried out involving a total of 50 patients undergoing BSSO for the correction of mandibular deficiency. In addition, 20 voluntary healthy students participated in this study. Questionnaires, a battery of neurosensory tests and preoperative imaging of the mandibular canal were used. A high incidence of neurosensory disturbance of the lower lip and chin was found after BSSO. However, recovery of sensation occurred with increasing frequency during the follow-up, and after one year sensation of the lower lip and chin returned to the presurgical situation in most patients. A prolonged neurosensory disturbance was more frequent in older patients, in large surgical movements of the mandible and in cases where the inferior alveolar nerve was manipulated during surgery. The bedside tests used in this study correlated well with the patients' subjective evaluation of neurosensory disturbance, and the repeatability of these tests was good. Furthermore, the sensibility testing of the mandibular teeth correlated well with the other tests and patient's subjective evaluation. Four days after surgery, sensibility testing of the mandibular teeth was an efficient test alone to predict the recovery from neurosensory disturbance. On radiographic imaging, the risk for neurosensory disturbance after BSSO could not be predicted from the panoramic radiograph. Before BSSO, CT was the best method to visualize the buccolingual location of the mandibular canal. After BSSO, a clinical follow-up using a battery of mechano- and nociceptive tests in the examination of sensation of the lower lip and chin, sensibility testing of the teeth, and subjective evaluation is needed. CT should be a part of treatment planning of the patients with thin rami or severe asymmetries of the mandible

Autotransplantation donor tooth site harvesting using piezosurgery

Abstract Background: The harvesting of a tooth as a candidate for tooth autotransplantation requires that the delicate dental tissues around the tooth be minimally traumatized. This is especially so for the periradicular tissues of the tooth root and the follicular tissues surrounding the crown. The aim of this report is to describe the use of piezosurgery as an attempt at morbidity reduction in the harvesting of teeth for autotransplantation. Methods: A piezosurgical handpiece and its selection of tips were easily adapted to allow the harvesting and delivery of teeth for autotransplantation purposes. Results: Twenty premolar teeth were harvested using a piezosurgical device. The harvested teeth were subsequently successfully autotransplanted. All twenty teeth healed in a satisfactory manner without excessive mobility or ankyloses. Conclusions: Piezosurgery avoids some of the traumatic aspects of harvesting teeth and removing bone which are associated with thermal damage from the use of conventional rotary instruments or saws. Piezosurgery can be adapted to facilitate the predictable harvesting of teeth for autotransplantation purposes

Piezo harvesting of bone grafts from the anterior iliac crest:a technical note

Abstract Background: Autogenous bone graft harvesting from the iliac crest is associated with donor site morbidity. The aim of this report is to describe the use of piezosurgery as an attempt at morbidity reduction. Materials and Methods: A piezosurgical handpiece and its selection of tips can easily be accommodated in an iliac crest wound to osteotomize and allow the harvest and delivery of autogenous bone grafts. Results: Corticocancellous blocks or cancellous strips of autogenous bone can be readily harvested using a piezosurgical technique at the anterior iliac crest. Conclusion: Piezosurgery avoids some of the traumatic aspects of harvesting bone associated with the use of conventional rotary instruments or saws

Maxillary arch dimensions in 6-year-old cleft children in Northern Finland:a cross-sectional study

Abstract The aim was to cross-sectionally examine the maxillary arch dimensions in 6-year-old children with cleft lip and/or palate and to compare them with the initial cleft sizes among patients with cleft palate. The study included 89 patients with clefts treated at the Oulu University Hospital. The subjects were divided into three groups: cleft palate, cleft lip, and cleft lip and palate. Study casts were scanned, and the maxillary arch dimensions were examined using a 3D program (3Shape Orthoanalyzer, Copenhagen, Denmark). The statistical methods Student’s t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the means (SD) between the groups. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to determine the correlation between cleft severity and maxillary dimensions. A significant difference was found between different initial cleft sizes in terms of distance between the second deciduous molar and the first incisor on the right side. The intermolar width showed a negative correlation with the initial cleft size. The dimensions were shorter for clefts affecting the palate and largest for clefts affecting only the lip. Larger clefts resulted in a shorter maxilla on the right side. Many dimensions became shorter when the initial cleft was larger. Clefts of the palate resulted in smaller maxillas

Dental fear among adolescents with cleft

Abstract Background: Dental fear is a prevalent phenomenon among children and adolescents globally. Aim: To investigate dental fear among 18-year-olds with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) at their final follow-up cleft clinic visit, and to evaluate the association between dental fear and OHRQoL. Design: This cross-sectional study included the cohort of children with CLP treated at the Oulu University Hospital Cleft Lip and Palate Center, in northern Finland since 1995. A total of 62 of 64 individuals participated in this study. The validated Finnish version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) was used to assess OHRQoL. Dental fear was studied using the validated Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and cognitive vulnerability model (CVM). Results: Almost two fifths of the participants reported moderate dental fear. Participants with cleft including lip and participants reporting impact on OHRQoL reported higher mean MDAS scores. In an unadjusted model, adolescents with cleft including lip had risk for higher dental MDAS scores compared with the ones with cleft including only palate. Conclusions: Dental fear is common among adolescents with CLP, specifically among those with clefts involving the lip. OHRQoL and dental fear seem to be associated