Surgical management of frontal bone and naso-orbito-ethmoidal fractures: a 7-year multi-center retrospective review.

OBJECTIVE: Frontal and naso-orbito-ethmoidal (NOE) fractures are rare but important injuries due to their anatomical complexity and proximity to vital structures. This study aims to describe the patient factors, procedural factors, and postoperative outcomes in the surgical management of these fractures. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of patients aged 18 years or older who were surgically treated for these fractures at two Australian tertiary hospitals (2014-2020). Patient factors (demographics, mechanism of injury, fracture pattern, concomitant injuries); procedural factors (operation timing, surgical approach); and postoperative outcomes (complications, revision surgeries) were recorded. RESULTS: 60 cases were included (41 frontal; 29 NOE; 10 combined). Mean age was 37 (frontal) and 39 years (NOE). Most cases were male (87.8%; 75.9%). The most common mechanism was traffic accidents (29.3%; 34.5%). The most common associated facial fractures were Le Fort fractures (46.3%; 89.7%). The most common associated systemic injuries were brain injuries (36.6%; 34.5%). Mean operation timing was 13 days (frontal) and 11 days (NOE). Coronal flap was most commonly used (68.3%; 82.8%). Postoperative complication rates were 39.0% (frontal) and 37.9% (NOE). Three cases required revision surgeries. CONCLUSION: Further larger longitudinal studies are required to build knowledge and improve patient outcomes.

Surgical management of naso-orbito-ethmoidal fractures: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Naso-orbito-ethmoidal fractures (NOE) fractures are uncommon but critical injuries. This review aims to investigate the patient factors, procedural factors, and postoperative outcomes associated with the surgical management of NOE fractures. STUDY DESIGN: PubMed and Scopus databases were systematically searched between 1993 and 2023 using the search strategy "(naso-orbito-ethmoidal OR nasoethmoid OR nasoorbitoethmoidal) AND fracture." Articles reporting clinical studies investigating the surgical management of NOE fractures were included. Articles that were duplicates, non-English, or non-full text; reported an unclear age range; reported insufficient data; and/or reported on a sample size less than 10 were excluded. Data on patient factors, procedural factors, and postoperative outcomes were extracted. RESULTS: Of the 412 articles identified, 6 eligible articles (retrospective case series) representing 95 adult cases and 84 pediatric cases were included. The mean ages were 29.0 and 10.2 years, respectively. Most cases were male (65.3%; 73.9%). Motor vehicle accidents were the most common mechanism of injury (79.2% and 50.0%, respectively). Coronal incision was the most common approach. Epiphora (n = 33) and scar problems (n = 21) were the most common complications in adult and pediatric cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Further robust longitudinal studies with a clear description of fracture classification and surgical timing would be helpful. Gaps in knowledge include concomitant injuries, digitally-assisted applications, and risk factors for adverse outcomes.

E-Scooters and Craniofacial Trauma: A Systematic Review.

Study Design: Systematic review. Objective: Standing electric scooters (e-scooters) provide a cheap and environmentally friendly transport alternative, but also elicit substantial concern regarding their volume of associated injuries especially in the craniofacial region. This review aims to explore the demographics, risk factors, types of injury and surgical management of craniofacial trauma associated with e-scooters. Methods: PubMed and Scopus databases were systematically searched. Inclusion criteria were clinical studies investigating craniofacial trauma associated with e-scooters. Exclusion criteria were duplicates; non-English publications; non-full-text publications; studies with insufficient data. Results: Of the 73 articles identified, 10 eligible articles representing 539 patients were included. The mean age was 31.5 years. Most cases were male (63.7%). Common risk factors were alcohol/drug intoxication, absence of distal extremity injuries and lack of helmet use. The most common mechanism of injury was mechanical falls (72.4%). The most common facial fracture pattern was middle third fractures (58.3%). Surgical management was required for 43.3% of fractures. Other types of injuries reported were traumatic brain injuries (17.6%), soft tissue injuries (58.3%), dental injuries (32.9%) and ophthalmological injuries (20.6%). Conclusions: The findings of this review suggest common presentations for craniofacial trauma associated with e-scooters. Robust longitudinal evaluations with standardised descriptions of types of injuries are required. Gaps in knowledge relate to surgical management, post-operative complications and associated risk factors.

Rigid versus non-rigid fixation for bilateral mandibular angle fractures: a retrospective multicentre review.

BACKGROUND: Fractures involving the bilateral mandibular angle are an uncommon occurrence with limited evidence to inform the ideal fixation requirements for adequate treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of managing bilateral mandibular angle fractures and determine if rigid fixation on one side improves outcomes compared to bilateral non-rigid fixation. METHODS: Patients with isolated bilateral mandibular angle fractures surgically treated at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Gold Coast University Hospital and Townsville University Hospital between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2022 were retrospectively identified. Data collected included patient demographics, mechanism of injury, fixation scheme, postoperative occlusion and the occurrence of postoperative complications and subsequent management. RESULTS: Eighty-four patients met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-two patients had non-rigid fixation applied to both fractures, and thirty-two had rigid fixation placed on at least one side. All cases proceeded to union. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups for occlusal outcomes, wound dehiscence, infection or plate or screw loosening. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that bilateral non-rigid fixation can be used to treat bilateral mandibular angle fractures in the appropriate clinical context.

The dental management of patients irradiated for head and neck cancer.

Patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancers are prone to a range of dental complications, including mucositis, trismus, xerostomia, radiation caries and osteoradionecrosis. Specific considerations include the preventive, restorative and rehabilitative management of such patients, and the prevention and treatment of complications. This article aims to highlight the current understanding and management of dental needs for patients who have had or will undergo radiotherapy.

The Impact of Orbital Volume on Post-traumatic Enophthalmos: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Orbital volume increase has been previously linked with post-traumatic enophthalmos. However, this varies and some studies show no correlation. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the correlation between orbital volume and enophthalmos and to determine if surgical intervention, enophthalmos measurement method, fracture location, or timing affect this correlation. METHODS: Automation tools were used to assist in this review of 6 databases. Searches were performed across all dates. Included studies quantitatively reported orbital volume and enophthalmos following traumatic orbital wall fractures in at least 5 adult subjects. Correlational data were extracted or calculated. Random-effects meta-analysis was used with subgroup analyses for each of the secondary aims. RESULTS: Twenty-five articles describing 648 patients were included. The pooled correlation between orbital volume and enophthalmos was r =0.71 ( R2 =0.50, P <0.001). Operative status, enophthalmos measurement method, and fracture location did not affect pooled correlation. The delay between trauma or surgery and enophthalmos measurement was not shown to modulate correlation for unoperated patients ( R2 =0.05, P =0.22) but showed a negative relationship for postoperative patients ( z =-0.0281, SE=0.0128, R2 =0.63, P =0.03), but this was heavily influenced by a single article. All results had high residual heterogeneity. Studies were rated as moderate, low, or very low quality with few stating explicit hypotheses or limitations. CONCLUSIONS: Bony orbital volume expansion accounts for around 50% of post-traumatic enophthalmos. The other half is probably explained by soft tissue or geometric bony, rather than volumetric, changes.

Dental anxiety in adult patients treated by dental students: A systematic review.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Dental anxiety is common and can propagate a vicious cycle of dental neglect and anxiety-provoking treatment. Patient, procedural, and operator factors are important contributions. This review aims to explore risk factors for dental anxiety in adult patients treated by dental students, in order to improve awareness of relevant factors and aid patient management. METHODS: Systematic searching of PubMed and Scopus databases was performed. Inclusion criteria were: studies assessing at least 1 risk factor for dental anxiety in patients aged 18 years and above treated by dental students, with use of a specific measurement scale for dental anxiety. Exclusion criteria were: duplicates, non-English publications, non-full-text publications, studies with a pediatric sample. RESULTS: Nine hundred thirty-one articles were identified. Eight eligible articles representing 1702 patients were included. Seven studies had a cross-sectional design and 1 study had a pretreatment/posttreatment design. Sixteen factors for dental anxiety were assessed. A significant correlation (P < 0.05) was found for: age (younger), gender (female), general/waiting room anxiety, irregular dental attendance, invasive treatment, poor emotional well-being, postponement of dental visit due to anxiety, previous negative dental experience and village residence. No significant correlation was found for: education, employment, income, perceived oral health, presence of a previous dental visit, symptom duration and time since last dental visit. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide a good foundation for future research, but clinical generalization is limited by the heterogeneity among included studies. A well-structured comparison of risk factors for dental anxiety between patients treated by dental students and dentists is required.

Ophthalmological injuries associated with fractures of the orbitozygomaticomaxillary complex.

Our aim was to evaluate ophthalmological injuries associated with fractures of the orbitozygomaticomaxillary complex that required operative treatment, and we collected data retrospectively over a period of five years (2012-2016 inclusive). Of the 190 patients, 162 were male with a median age of 31 (IQR 25 -39) years. Assault was the most common mechanism of injury (125/190, 66%). Minor ophthalmic injuries (those unlikely to cause permanent visual disturbance) and major ophthalmic injuries (those with the potential to cause permanent visual disturbance) were recorded. The common minor ophthalmic injuries were: diplopia, enophthalmos, proptosis, subconjunctival haemorrhage, and restriction of the extraocular muscles. Commotio retinae, traumatic mydriasis, retro-orbital haemorrhage, and hyphaema were the common major ophthalmic injuries. All 13 different major ophthalmic injuries were recorded in the group who had had orbital fractures reconstructed, which suggested that more intraocular damage can be caused by this type of fracture than by others. Visual acuity was reduced in 26/190 patients with only four having persistent postoperative changes at six weeks. The odds ratio for those patients who had a major ophthalmological injury and were unable to drive was 0.07 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.21, p=0.001), which was highly significant. Ophthalmological assessment is strongly recommended for patients with fractures of the orbitozygomaticomaxillary complex.

Bacterial comparison of preoperative rinsing and swabbing for oral surgery using 0.2% chlorhexidine.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to compare bacterial load using preoperative rinsing and swabbing techniques for oral surgery with 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX). METHODS: Participants were healthy volunteers undergoing a general anesthetic for the removal of teeth. Participants were randomly allocated to receive 15 mL of 0.2% CHX for 60 s as either a rinse or have their mouths swabbed. Plaque samples were aseptically collected pre- and post-rinsing from the same sites in all patients (the distal surface of all second molar teeth). RESULTS: Patients in the swab group had similar bacteria counts before and after the application of CHX (143.4 vs 138.5 colonies, P = 1.000). After rinsing with CHX, there was an eightfold reduction of bacterial load (71 vs 8.8 colonies, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that the use of CHX as an antimicrobial agent is effective in reducing the overall number of bacterial colonies in the oral cavity. Rinsing is a more effective method of doing this.

Frequency of odontogenic cysts and tumors: a systematic review.

A systematic review of the literature from 1993 to 2011 was undertaken examining frequency data of the most common odontogenic cysts and tumors. Seven inclusion criteria were met for the paper to be incorporated. In the preliminary search 5231 papers were identified, of these 26 papers met the inclusion criteria. There were 18 297 odontogenic cysts reported. Of these there were 9982 (54.6%) radicular cysts, 3772 (20.6%) dentigerous cysts and 2145 (11.7%) keratocystic odontogenic tumors. With the reclassification of keratocystic odontogenic tumor in 2005 as an odontogenic tumor, there were 8129 odontogenic tumors reported with 3001 (36.9%) ameloblastomas, 1163 (14.3%) keratocystic odontogenic tumors, 533 (6.5%) odontogenic myxomas, 337 (4.1%) adenomatoid odontogenic tumors and 127 (1.6%) ameloblastic fibromas. This systematic review found that odontogenic cysts are 2.25 times more frequent than odontogenic tumors. The most frequent odontogenic cyst and tumor were the radicular cyst and ameloblastoma respectively.

Knee pain during the first three months after unilateral total knee arthroplasty: a multi-centre prospective cohort study.

Many patients have an unfavourable pain outcome post total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This multi-centre prospective cohort study recorded weekly pain scores one week before TKA and 12 weeks post TKA. 96 patients were enrolled into the study. Patients kept a record of their weekly scores pre-operation and post-operation by using the visual acuity score. Pain was divided into "best" pain score (lowest pain score) and "worst" pain score (highest pain score). Patients with a pre-operative pain scores ≤ 4 were identified as an at risk group for poor pain outcome. Female gender, age and anaesthetics type were not identified as risk factors for poor pain outcome. Pain trajectory analysis also identified general patterns of pain response post TKA.

A prospective epidemiological study for odontogenic and non-odontogenic lesions of the maxilla and mandible in Queensland.

OBJECTIVES: Investigate the epidemiological profile for odontogenic and non-odontogenic intra-osseous lesions in the Queensland population (4.56 million) over 12 months. STUDY DESIGN: The following data were prospectively collected from all Queensland histopathology laboratories in 2011: gender, age at diagnosis, location of lesion, histopathological diagnosis of the lesion and the patient's postcode. RESULTS: Six-hundred and thirty-three lesions were collected, comprising 540 odontogenic cysts and 93 odontogenic tumors. Radicular cyst was the most frequently diagnosed lesion (247/540, 45.7%). The overall incidence of odontogenic tumors was 20.4/million. Keratocystic odontogenic tumor was the highest (15.1/million), followed by ameloblastoma (2.41/million) with odontoma and calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor having the same incidence (1.1/million). The 39 non-odontogenic intra-osseous lesions had an overall incidence of 8.55/million. Nasopalatine cysts had an incidence of 2.19/million, followed by fibrous dysplasia and central giant cell granuloma (1.97/million). CONCLUSIONS: Odontogenic tumors are 5 times less common than cysts. Non-odontogenic lesions are rare, with benign lesions 6.8 times more common than malignant lesions.

Management and recurrence of keratocystic odontogenic tumor: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the most up-to-date treatment modalities and respective recurrence rates for keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT). STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review of the literature from 1999 to 2010 was undertaken examining treatment and recurrence rates for KCOT. Four inclusion criteria were defined for articles to then be analyzed against 8 standards. RESULTS: Of the 2736 published articles, 8 met the inclusion criteria. When merging the data, enucleation and enucleation with adjunctive measures (other than Carnoy's solution) had recurrence rates of 25.6% and 30.3%, respectively. Marsupialization with adjunctive measures produced a recurrence rate of 15.8%, whereas enucleation with Carnoy's solution presented a recurrence rate of 7.9%. Only one resection case had recurrence (6.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The enucleation technique with the use of adjunctive procedures (other than Carnoy's solution) provides a higher recurrence rate than any other treatment modality.

Testicular vasculitis - literature review and case report in queensland.

A 21-year-old male presented with acute onset, sharp right sided testicular pain. The testicle was removed with a histological diagnosis of testicular vasculitis. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies were negative. Although rare, males who present with acute onset pain should be screened for testicular vasculitis with a scrotal ultrasound and blood investigations including tumor markers and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies.