Assessment of surgical treatment of Eagle's syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of surgical treatment of patients with Eagle's syndrome, taking into account both early and late results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 15 patients who underwent resection of the styloid process due to Eagle syndrome in the period of 2005-2017. During the follow-up visit, the patients were asked to fill in a post-operative questionnaire that compared the pre-operative symptoms and their severity with the patients' current health condition. The VAS pain scale was used to assess each symptom, and the Laitinen scale was used to assess the quality of life. Data from patients' medical records were also included. The results of the surveys were subjected to statistical analysis. RESULTS: The study showed that in 11 out of 15 cases there was a significant improvement in the level of pain (70.5% on average) and an improvement in quality of life (on average 65%) comparing to the pre-operative condition. The Wilcoxon test for binding pairs, the Mann-Whitney test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Spearman correlation coefficient were used in the statistical analysis. There were statistically significant correlations between the recorded improvement rate and the length of the resected styloid process and its setting. DISCUSSION: The study proved that resection of prolonged styloid process from extraoral approach in most cases is an effective method of treatment of Eagle syndrome, that carries low risk of complications.

Accuracy of digital dental models using the low-cost DAVID laser scanner.

BACKGROUND: Accurate laser scanning of plaster casts using validated, low-cost hardware represents a key issue in 3D orthodontics. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of measurements taken from plaster casts (gold standard) with digital models of those casts created with a low-cost structural light DAVID laser scanner. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five different measurements were taken on each of 14 plaster casts by 2 independent observers with an electronic caliper. The measurements were repeated 10 times on all 14 plaster casts by each observer, with a 1-week interval between each set of measurements. All 14 plaster casts were digitized using a low-cost DAVID SLS 3 laser scanner. The same 5 measurements were performed on each of the 3D virtual surface models of the 14 plaster casts by 2 independent observers using Meshlab software in a manner similar to that used with the digital caliper. The measurements were repeated 10 times by the 2 observers with 1 week between each set of measurements. RESULTS: The laser-scanned models were more accurate than the plaster cast models in defining measurements based on simple tooth fissures. The accuracy of measurements based on complex tooth fissures were equivalent for the 2 types of model. For measurements based on interproximal dental contacts, the 2 methods of measurement were similar and both were notably poor in terms of accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional virtual models obtained from the low-cost DAVID laser scanner can be used clinically, but only for certain types of measurements and indications.