Advances in distraction techniques for craniofacial surgery

Distraction osteogenesis has been applied to the craniofacial skeleton as well as the long bones of the extremities. This technique does not require bone grafting and allows correction of craniofacial deformities with less invasion. Moreover, the distraction procedures can expand the overlying soft tissues simultaneously. We determined the indications of distraction osteogenesis, analyzed the types of devices available, and examined patients treated with distraction for the mandible, midface, and cranium. In all three sites, the devices tended to be the buried type and made of absorbable materials. Administration of some cytokines for shortening the consolidation period may be considered. Among disorders indicated for distraction osteogenesis, there are several syndromic craniosynostoses, which involve mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 2 gene. The FGFR2 mutation was suggested to clinically accelerate osteogenesis at the distraction site. The usefulness and appropriateness of the distraction protocol must be assessed for each individual disorder. Although distraction osteogenesis in the craniofacial skeleton has advanced technologically, all possible risks must be discussed with the patient and family members when obtaining preoperative informed consent, especially until establishment of fully safe distraction procedures

Effect of activated protein C on plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor activity in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with alteplase Comparison with unfractionated heparin

AbstractObjectivesWe examined whether activated protein C (APC) is an effective conjunctive therapy to thrombolysis in patients with ST-segment–elevated acute myocardial infarction (AMl).BackgroundActivated protein C possesses both systemic anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties. It has been also shown to enhance fibrinolysis by inhibiting plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activity in vitro.MethodsAfter successful thrombolysis with alteplase, study patients were assigned to receive one of the two conjunctive therapies for 48 h intravenously: human plasma-derived APC at 0.06 mg/kg per day (APC group, n = 9) or unfractionated heparin at 100 to 400 U/kg per day, adjusted to maintain an activated partial thromboplastin time at 1.5 to 2 times of the control level (heparin group, n = 10).ResultsAdverse events, including reocclusion of the recanalized infarct-related coronary artery and major or minor hemorrhagic complications, occurred more frequently in the heparin group (4 of 10 cases) than in the APC group (none of 9 cases) (p = 0.033). In the heparin group, plasma PAI activity (IU/ml, median value [range]) was increased continuously from 8 to 24 h after thrombolysis and peaked at 24 h (30.9 [11.3 to 38.5]); on the other hand, it was not increased in the APC group at 24 h after thrombolysis (11.3 [0.0 to 31.0], p < 0.01 vs. heparin group).ConclusionsAdministration of APC suppressed increasing of plasma PAI activity observed after thrombolysis in patients with AMI. The effect of APC could be more eligible, compared with heparin, as a conjunctive regimen to thrombolysis in AMI patients

Long-term Follow-up of Orthodontic Patient with Cervical Lymphangioma

Aim: To report a treatment case of mandibular deviation caused by congenital cervical lymphangioma with traditional orthodontic techniques, following-up by 10-year retention. Background: Lymphangiomas, developmental anomalies, can induce various disturbances of swallowing, mastication, speech, breathing, and skeletal deformities as well as psychological stress and anxiety for the patient and their family. Lymphangiomas are benign with virtually no possibility of turning into a malignant lesion, so clinical management aims to treat the patient functionally. Case description: A girl, aged 6 years and 4 months, complained about facial asymmetry and anterior crossbite caused by congenital cervical lymphangioma. Her facial profile was the straight type with an adequate lip position. Anterior and right-side posterior crossbites were observed. On the frontal cephalogram, the menton shifted 3.0 mm to the right. A functional appliance with an expander was placed to correct her dental midline deviation and posterior crossbite. After 2-year treatment, the anterior and right-side posterior crossbites were improved. Multibracket treatment began after the growth spurt. After 44-month active treatment, a functional occlusion, including a Class I molar relationship with a proper interincisal relationship, was achieved. A functional occlusion was maintained during a 10-year retention period, while a mandibular downward growth was observed through the retention period. Conclusion: Conventional orthodontic techniques enable functional and stable occlusion even in patients with mandibular deviation caused by congenital cervical lymphangioma, although only using early orthodontic management by itself may have some limitations. Clinical significance: The hybrid technique combining functional appliance and intermaxillary elastics proves to be an effective therapy for correcting occlusal cant and mandibular deviation caused by cervical lymphangioma

New application of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging for the assessment of deglutitive tongue movement

Background: Deglutitive motion of the tongue may function to maintain tooth position. However, the causation between abnormal patterns of orofacial muscle function and dental malocclusion remains unclear. To clarify the pathogenic mechanism of malocclusion, it is important to determine the relative positional relationship between the tongue tip and incisor edge or the dorsal tongue and palate during deglutition. Here, we assessed the utility of 3-T segmented cine-magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, combined with static MR images for hard tissue visualization, in assessing the relationship between the tongue and the surrounding tissues during deglutitive tongue movement. Methods: Cine-MR images were acquired from three healthy female volunteers during deglutition who had no history of swallowing disorder or other chronic illness, normal alignment and occlusion, and a skeletal class I relationship. Three cine-MR images were taken during deglutition in accordance with an auditory cue for each volunteer. During static imaging, custom-made, contrast-medium-filled clear retainers were positioned in the mouth to allow visualization of the upper and lower incisors and hard palate boundaries. Static images were superimposed onto images of the three stages in deglutitive tongue movement, which were selected from a series of cine-MR images. These superimpositions were assessed five times by tracing cephalometric parameters to examine the reproducibility of the method. Results: Traces varied little across repeated measurements, and all subjects had a similar pattern of dorsal tongue movement. Tongue-to-palate contact increased slightly during the first to second stage of swallowing and abruptly increased during the second to third stage, while the tongue tip position remained constant. Conclusions: Segmented cine-MR imaging combined with static MR images is useful for assessing soft tissue motion during deglutition. This method is particularly useful in dentistry to evaluate the relationship between tongue function and maxillofacial morphology in terms of orthodontic treatment and orofacial myofunctional therapy, and for improving tongue movement during speech therapy

Histological reaction of auditory bulla bone to synthetic auditory ossicle (Apaceram®) in rats

To investigate the biocompatibility of a synthetic auditory ossicle to host bone, small thin Apaceram® disks composed of dense hydroxyapatite were implanted under the periosteum of the left auditory bulla in 32 rats for periods ranging from 1 day to 270days. A sham operation performed on 10 rats served as a control. Decalcified histological sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin were observed using light microscopy. The experiment showed:1) a time-dependent mature fibrous connective tissue surrounding the Apaceram® disk, 2) no evidence of inflammatory reaction caused by the implant from 90 days after implantation until the end of the experiment, 3) no evidence of osteolysis by osteoclasts caused by the implant, and 4) direct contact of bone to the implant on the bone-disk interface at 180 and 270 days after implantation. The findings suggest that Apaceram® has a high degree of implant biocompatibility, making it a satisfactory substitute biomaterial for otological reconstructive surgeries

Principles of the magnetic resonance imaging movie method for articulatory movement : a review

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a critical tool for dental examination. MRI has many advantages over radiographic examination methods, including the lack of a requirement for patient exposure and the ability to capture high-contrast images of various tissue and organ types. However, MRI also has several limitations, including long examination times and the existence of metallic or motion artifacts. A cardiac imaging method using cine sequences was developed in the 1990s. This technique allows for analysis of heart movement and functional blood flow. Moreover, this method has been applied in dentistry. Recent research involving 3T MRI has led to the achievement of a temporal resolution of <10 ms, surpassing the frame rate of typical video recording. The current review introduces the history and principles of the cine sequence method and its application to the oral and maxillofacial regions