Two-Year Clinical Follow-Up Assessment of the Novel Cingular Surgical Bovine Pericardial Valve.

Objectives: To evaluate the 2-year clinical safety and hemodynamic outcomes of the Cingular bovine pericardial bioprosthesis. Methods: A prospective, multicenter, single-arm trial was conducted in patients who required aortic or mitral valve replacement. From March 2016 to October 2017, 197 patients were implanted with the Cingular bovine pericardial valve at five sites in China. The clinical outcomes and hemodynamic performance were assessed through a 2-year follow-up. Clinical safety events were reviewed by an independent clinical events committee, and echocardiographic data were assessed by an independent core laboratory. Results: The mean age was 66.9 ± 4.9 years. The 2-year survival rate was 96.4%. A complete 2-year clinical follow-up was achieved in 189 of 190 survivors. No case of structural valve deterioration, major perivalvular leak, prosthetic valve endocarditis, or valve-related reoperation was seen. For the aortic valve, the mean pressure gradient observed was 12.5 ± 4.0 mm Hg, and the effective orifice area (EOA) was 2.0 ± 0.3 cm2. For the smaller size aortic valves, 19 mm and 21 mm, respective mean EOA values of 1.7 ± 0.2 cm2 and 1.8 ± 0.2 cm2 were found. The values for mean pressure gradient and mean EOA for mitral bioprostheses were 4.0 ± 1.4 mm Hg and 2.2 ± 0.3 cm2, respectively. There was no significant change between 1-year and 2-year hemodynamic performance. Conclusions: The Cingular bovine pericardial valve showed favorable clinical safety and hemodynamic outcomes over a 2-year follow-up. Further follow-up is required to validate the long-term durability.

Surgical Site Assessment for Soft Tissue Management in Ridge Augmentation Procedures.

The success of bone augmentation is usually dependent on primary wound closure. This review provides a literature-based system to assess the predictability of achieving primary wound closure. Seven pertinent factors that determine the risk for wound exposure were identified: (1) the width of keratinized mucosa, (2) flap thickness, (3) flap tension, (4) vestibular depth, (5) type and (6) size of the bony defect, and (7) materials used. Clinical cases are used to demonstrate evaluation of these factors. This evaluation system may aid clinicians in differentiating cases with various risks of wound exposure and making decisions on flap modifications and the most appropriate surgical designs.

Horizontal bone augmentation: the decision tree.

The emergence of implant dentistry has led to the need for bone augmentation procedures. With the removal of a tooth, there is an inevitable three-dimensional (3D) loss of alveolar bone. More often than not, horizontal bone loss occurs at a faster rate and to a greater extent compared to vertical bone loss. This led to the development of several horizontal bone augmentation techniques, such as guided bone regeneration, ridge expansion, distraction osteogenesis, and block grafts. These proposed augmentation techniques aim to place the implant in an ideal 3D position for successful restorative therapy. The literature has shown that horizontal bone augmentation is fairly predictable if certain criteria are fulfilled. However, with numerous techniques and materials currently available, it is difficult to choose the most suitable treatment modality. A search of the literature available was conducted to validate the decision-making process when planning for a horizontal ridge augmentation procedure. The decision tree proposed in this paper stems from the 3D buccolingual bone width available at the site of implant placement (⋝ 3.5 mm, < 3.5 mm, or 4 to 5 mm). In each dimension, techniques are advised after considering factors such as the tissue thickness, the arch position, and the availability of autogenous bone. The decision tree provides insight on how clinicians can choose the most appropriate and predictable horizontal ridge augmentation procedure to minimize unnecessary complications.

Risk assessment of lingual plate perforation in posterior mandibular region: a virtual implant placement study using cone-beam computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Lingual plate perforation at the time of implant placement in posterior mandible is a potential surgical complication, and presence of a lingual concavity is considered a risk factor. Little is known about the spatial relationship between implant and lingual plate. The role of lingual concavity in the risk of lingual perforation has not yet been fully studied. This computer-simulated study investigates the incidence of lingual plate perforation in edentulous mandibular first molar region and the risk of perforation in the area of lingual concavity. METHODS: One hundred and three qualified cone-beam computed tomography scans were selected from the database. Implants of various dimensions were virtually placed into the area using computer software. The distance between implant tip and lingual plate was measured using a digital caliper. Incidence of lingual plate perforation and proximity of the implant tip to lingual plate were measured for three types of cross-sectional mandibular morphology. RESULTS: One hundred and three cone-beam computed tomography scans with 118 sites were available for analysis. The intraexaminer and interexaminer agreements were 0.93 and 0.89, respectively. The predicted incidence of lingual plate perforation was 1.1% to 1.2%. Most implants, which were within 1 mm from lingual plate, occurred in sites with lingual concavity (type-U ridge). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a novel experimental design by which the spatial relation between implant and lingual plate in mandibular first molar region is investigated. Incidence of lingual plate perforation during implant placement is predicted to be 1.1% to 1.2% and it will most likely happen in type-U ridge.