Use of an occlusal ramp for rehabilitation after a mandibulectomy and its effects on mastication.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Patients with a mandibular defect can develop mandibular deviation, resulting in a loss of or reduction in occlusal contact and ultimately loss of function. The occlusal ramp is a prosthesis used to help restore the masticatory function of such patients and is used particularly in the maxillofacial rehabilitation of patients with masticatory dysfunction resulting from mandibular deviation. The occlusal ramp is usually attached to a mandibular denture or worn as an independent device placed on the palate corresponding to the mandible that produces the offset. However, evidence of the effects of its use is sparse. PURPOSE: The purpose of this clinical study was to investigate the effects of occlusal ramp use in functional rehabilitation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 10 patients who had received mandibulectomies (5 men and 5 women; mean age 76.7 years, range 67 to 90 years) with deviation of the mandible. An occlusal ramp was fabricated for each participant as part of their maxillofacial prosthetic treatment. Masticatory performance was evaluated before and after the treatment by measuring glucose extraction while masticating a piece of gummy jelly. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for statistical analysis (α=.05). RESULTS: The median masticatory performance score, represented as glucose concentration (mg/dL), was 82.45 before treatment and 115.45 after treatment, with an overall improvement of 33.00. Scores differed significantly before and after treatment (P=.005). Masticatory performance for each participant improved in the range of 17.7 to 103.3, highlighting the role that the occlusal ramp played in mastication, although with differing effects in each participant. CONCLUSIONS: Masticatory performance in participants with mandibular deviation after a mandibulectomy was significantly improved with an occlusal ramp. This suggests the effectiveness of using occlusal ramps in maxillofacial prosthetic treatment for the recovery of masticatory function in patients with mandibular deviation.

Treatment of a mandibular discontinuity defect by using a fibula free flap and an implant-supported fixed complete denture fabricated with a PEKK framework: A clinical report.

This clinical report describes the rehabilitation of a patient with a history of mandibulectomy that involved the use of a fibula free flap and an implant-supported fixed complete denture. A recently introduced material, polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), was used as the framework material for the prosthesis, and the treatment produced favorable esthetic and functional results.

Geometric Evaluation of the Effect of Prosthetic Rehabilitation on the Facial Appearance of Mandibulectomy Patients: A Preliminary Study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to geometrically evaluate the effect of prosthetic rehabilitation on the facial appearance of mandibulectomy patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Facial scans (with and without prostheses) were performed for 16 mandibulectomy patients using a noncontact three-dimensional (3D) digitizer, and 3D images were reconstructed with the corresponding software. The 3D datasets were geometrically evaluated and compared using 3D evaluation software. RESULTS: The mean difference in absolute 3D deviations for full face scans was 382.2 µm. CONCLUSION: This method may be useful in evaluating the effect of conventional prostheses on the facial appearance of individuals with mandibulectomy defects.

Costal graft as a support for bone regeneration after mandibular juvenile ossifying fibroma resection: An unusual case report.

Spontaneous regeneration of bone tissue after mandibular resection is rare in adults, although it does often take place in children. Periosteum conservation appears to play a major role in this healing process. We here report regarding a 5-year-old boy who exhibited a large mandibular trabecular juvenile ossifying fibroma. The lesion was treated by mandibulectomy, with careful preservation of the periosteal layer and immediate reconstruction with a costal graft by an intraoral approach. Monitoring over the course of a year revealed spontaneous mandibular regeneration, and it allowed for a series of measurements of the graft to be made. During this follow-up period, the mandibular height increased from 41.5% to 75.2% (P=0.0008) of the height of the unaffected mandibular height, while the width grew from 34.4% to 82.8% (P=0.0078) of the width of the healthy side, thus demonstrating the importance of a conservative approach regarding the periosteum in such situations. The costal graft acted as a support for bone regeneration by immobilizing the remaining bone fragments and by preventing soft-tissue prolapse.

Bone healing after biodegradable mini-plate fixation.

PURPOSE: To compare bone healing in mandibular vertical body osteotomies (MVBO) after fixation with a resorbable 2.0mm-profile fixation system in the first and third postoperative months in rabbits. METHODS: Twenty hemimandibles of ten rabbits were divided into two groups according to duration of resorbable fixation-one or three months. The MVBOs were performed and one four-hole, resorbable, 2.0mm mini-plate fixation system was used on each side. The computed tomography (CT) scans, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and histomorphometric outcomes of groups I and II were compared. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between the one- and three- month assessments in terms of newly formed bone ratio values (p<0.05). There was more new bone formation at the third month on both the CT and histomorphometric examinations. A better adaptation of the bone tissues to the resorbable mini-plate and screws was observed on SEM at three months. CONCLUSION: The resorbable mini-plates provided a fixation stable enough to allow immediate oral alimentation and callus formation in both groups.

Bone healing after biodegradable mini-plate fixation

ABSTRACT PURPOSE: To compare bone healing in mandibular vertical body osteotomies (MVBO) after fixation with a resorbable 2.0mm-profile fixation system in the first and third postoperative months in rabbits. METHODS: Twenty hemimandibles of ten rabbits were divided into two groups according to duration of resorbable fixation-one or three months. The MVBOs were performed and one four-hole, resorbable, 2.0mm mini-plate fixation system was used on each side. The computed tomography (CT) scans, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and histomorphometric outcomes of groups I and II were compared. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between the one- and three- month assessments in terms of newly formed bone ratio values (p<0.05). There was more new bone formation at the third month on both the CT and histomorphometric examinations. A better adaptation of the bone tissues to the resorbable mini-plate and screws was observed on SEM at three months. CONCLUSION: The resorbable mini-plates provided a fixation stable enough to allow immediate oral alimentation and callus formation in both groups.

Simplified technique for the prosthodontic rehabilitation of a patient with a segmental mandibulectomy with a hollow cast partial dental prosthesis: A clinical report.

Rehabilitating patients with a mandibulectomy defect is a challenging task as such surgical resections may result in discontinuity defects that pose functional, esthetic, and psychological problems. A decreased denture-bearing area, increased interarch space, and lever action in such maxillofacial defects may cause problems with regard to retention, stability, and support of the prosthesis. Reducing the weight of the prosthesis helps to decrease the lever action and load on the residual alveolar ridge. This clinical report describes how a patient with a posterior segmental mandibulectomy was rehabilitated with a hollow cast partial dental prosthesis using a simplified technique with expanded polystyrene.

Tratamiento simultáneo de anquilosis temporomandibular unilateral congénita y del microlaterognatismo asociado / Simultaneously treament of congenital unilateral temporomandibular ankylosis and consecutive microlatherognathism

Este artículo tiene como objetivo reportar los resultados obtenidos a corto y largo plazo, del tratamiento con enfoque multidisciplinario de una anquilosis unilateral congénita de la articulación temporomandibular asociada a un síndrome de malformación embrionaria, en un niño de 12 años de edad, en el que se utilizó un distractor externo bidimensional con un doble propósito: como fijador para mantener el espacio logrado con la artroplastia y como distractor para elongar la rama mandibular hipotrófica, activado 5 días después de la osteotomía, con el objetivo de eliminar la anquilosis y el microlaterognatismo mandíbular consecutivo de ella, simultaneamente de manera funcional y dinámica(AU)

The paper reports the short- and long-term results obtained from the multidisciplinary treatment of a congenital unilateral ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint associated to an embryonic malformation in a 12-year-old boy, using an external bidimensional distraction device with a two-fold purpose: as fixator to maintain the space achieved by arthroplasty, and as distractor to elongate the hypotrophic mandibular branch, activated 5 days after osteotomy, with the purpose of eliminating ankylosis and consecutive mandibular microlaterognatism, both functionally and dynamically(AU)

Prevention points for plate exposure in the mandibular reconstruction.

INTRODUCTION: The rate of complications for mandibular reconstruction after segmental mandibulectomy is higher with reconstruction plates than with vascularised bone grafts. We have experience of over 100 patients using reconstructive plates for reconstruction immediately after segmental mandibulectomy and have considered factors contributing to plate exposure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventeen cases utilised our prevention methods in which reconstructive plates were used for mandibular reconstruction were reviewed. The flaps used with reconstruction plates were rectus abdominis myocutanenous flaps in 10 cases, anterolateral thigh flaps combined vastus lateralis muscle in four cases, and the omentum in one case; no flap was transferred in two cases. RESULTS: In only one of 17 cases was a plate exposed at 3 months postoperatively. No plate exposure occurred during the follow-up period in the other 16 cases. Because no flap had been transferred in the patient with plate exposure, a possible contributing factor was the persistence of dead space beneath the plate. CONCLUSION: This series suggests that factors other than flap selection contribute to the exposure of reconstructive plates. Use of a reconstruction plate is a useful reconstructive method, especially for patients who cannot tolerate transfer of a vascularised bone graft.