Risk Factors Associated With Poor Outcomes Following Temporomandibular Joint Discectomy and Fat Graft.

PURPOSE: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discectomy is performed for patients with degenerative joint disease with an unsalvageable disc, but with a salvageable condylar head and glenoid fossa. The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence and risk factors associated with poor postoperative outcomes following TMJ discectomy and abdominal fat grafting. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients who underwent TMJ discectomy. Included in this study were patients who had complete data sets with a minimum of 1-year follow-up. Potential risk factors included demographics, preoperative findings (mouth opening, pain levels, previous TMJ surgery), operative findings (disc degeneration, state of TMJ components), and postoperative outcomes (pain levels, mouth opening). Failed outcomes were those who had return of pain postoperatively, no improvement in mouth opening following TMJ discectomy, and/or those who progressed to TMJ total joint replacement (TJR). Statistical methods included Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression time to event analyses. RESULTS: This study included 129 patients who had undergone 132 TMJ discectomies. Most patients were female (89.9%), with a mean age of 43.2 years, standard deviation 14.2. The success rate for discectomy was 75.2% and the conversion rate of TMJ discectomy to TJR was 11.7%. A total of 32 patients (24.8%) experienced return of pain. The median time to return of pain or second surgery was 94.4 months (95% CI = 88.3 to 101.8). No risk factors were statistically significant, although mouth opening improvement of less than 10% was associated with higher risk of poor outcome (P = .77). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that lower improvement in mouth opening at 1 year following surgery is likely to result in failure of the TMJ discectomy procedure although the result was not statistically significant. This outcome may ultimately necessitate a TJR.

Primary Xanthoma of the Mandible-A Case Report.

Xanthomas are common cutaneous and subcutaneous lesions that occur due to altered metabolic or endocrinal function. They are found on skin and around tendon sheaths in individuals with dyslipidemias. In extremely rare cases, they can present as isolated intrabony lesions in otherwise healthy individuals. The isolated intrabony lesions are referred to as primary xanthomas. This report describes a case of an incidentally found primary xanthoma, its management, and follow-up in an otherwise healthy patient.

Mortality after emergency abdominal surgery in a non-metropolitan Australian centre.

OBJECTIVE: Emergency abdominal surgery has poorer outcomes and higher mortality rates, compared with elective surgery. Serious morbidity or mortality occurs in up to 40% of patients. No information is available with regard to the outcome of patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery in rural Australia. METHODS: Patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery in a 110-bed rural surgical centre in South Australia over a 5 year period (January 2010-December 2014) were included in the study. Patient data were retrieved using the hospital database and review of patient records. RESULTS: A total of 4396 general surgical emergency admissions was recorded. Emergency admissions without intervention, endoscopic intervention only, appendectomy, cholecystectomy or urological or gynaecological diagnoses were excluded from mortality analysis. The remaining 237 patients underwent major abdominal emergency surgery for bowel obstruction (benign and malignant: n = 143, 60%), injury/inflammation/perforation/peritonitis (n = 85, 36%) or haemorrhage/ischaemia (n = 9, 3.8%). Thirty- (n = 9) and 90- (n = 12) day mortality rates were 3.8% and 5.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Emergency abdominal surgery can be safely provided in non-metropolitan Australian centres, with a low 30-day mortality rate of 3.8% and a 90-day mortality rate of 5.1%. This compares well with results published by other national and international investigators.

Comparative clinical outcomes between stock vs custom temporomandibular total joint replacement systems.

With the evolution of temporomandibular (TMJ) prosthetic total joint replacement, there has been much debate around the advantages of custom over stock prostheses. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes of a TMJ stock prosthesis (Zimmer-Biomet) to a custom prosthesis (OMX). Clinical data from 139 prosthetic joints placed in 117 patients was retrospectively collected and analysed. All patients were diagnosed with end-stage joint osteoarthritis and were treated by a single surgeon. Minimum follow up was 2 years post-surgery. The cohort was divided into 2 groups, 60 stock prosthetic joints in 54 patients and 79 custom prosthetic joints in 63 patients. This comprised of 110 males and 7 females. The average age at the time of surgery was 53.4yr ± 12.7yr. There was no statistical difference in pre-operative MIO and pain scores between the two groups. Post-operatively, patients fitted with a custom prosthesis showed statistically significant (P = 0.013) improvement in Maximum Interincisal Opening (MIO) (+6.33 mm vs +2.53 mm) and fewer complications. Following surgery, no difference noted in pain scores and patient satisfaction between the two groups. In experienced hands, both stock and custom TMJ implants work well. However, the added advantages of custom prostheses together with growing access to digital technology is likely to result in custom devices dominating the market in TMJ total joint replacement systems.

Redrainage in odontogenic orofacial infections: Risk factors and analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of redrainage in odontogenic orofacial infections and evaluate possible risk factors. The investigators hypothesized that wait times to first surgery >48 hours and clinical risk factors may predispose patients to higher rates of redrainage. STUDY DESIGN: Two hundred nineteen patients who underwent surgical drainage for odontogenic orofacial infections over an 8-year period were identified through Western Health electronic medical records. The primary outcome measure was the rate of redrainage. Secondary outcomes included total length of hospital stay and intensive care unit admission and length of stay. Stratified risk factors were analyzed using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test to produce a total overall estimate risk ratio (forest plot). RESULTS: Of 219 patients, 16 (7.3%) required at least 1 return to theater for redrainage. First surgery wait times >48 hours, multispace infection, C-reactive protein ≥150, trismus, and immunosuppression were associated with a significantly increased risk of redrainage (88%; combined risk ratio = 1.88; 95% confidence interval, 1.31-2.69; P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: To minimize the risk of redrainage, patients with orofacial infections requiring surgery should undergo surgery within 48 hours of presentation to hospital, particularly when presenting with an elevated C-reactive protein ≥150, trismus, immunosuppression, or multispace involvement.

Surgical management of recurrent TMJ dislocation-a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Recurrent temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dislocation can be challenging to treat and the current understanding regarding aetiology and management of this condition is limited. The aim of this paper was to conduct a systematic review regarding the management of recurrent TMJ dislocation. METHODS: A literature review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines to identify papers published between 2006 and 2016. The resultant papers were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 33 papers were found relevant to the study. Minimally invasive techniques described included autologous blood injection, which was associated with an overall success of 80% at 12 months. Other modalities investigated included OK-432 sclerotherapy, laser capsulorrhaphy, botulinum toxin of the lateral pterygoid muscle or modified dextrose. These publications show promising success rates. Surgical techniques described included disc plication, eminoplasty and eminectomy. These modalities had a similar success rate, although numbers were limited. The true incidence of recurrent TMJ dislocation is unknown and aetiology is limited to expert opinion. CONCLUSION: The current understanding of management for recurrent TMJ dislocation is limited to case series and case reports. This paper compiles the current understanding of management of recurrent TMJ dislocation. Compared to previous reviews, this paper describes some novel minimally invasive techniques with promising success in the management of recurrent TMJ dislocation.

The Effect of Undaria pinnatifida Fucoidan on the Pharmacokinetics of Letrozole and Tamoxifen in Patients With Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although the use of complementary and alternative medicines is widespread in cancer patients, clinical evidence of their benefits is sparse. Furthermore, while they are often assumed to be safe with regard to concurrent use of anticancer therapies, few studies have been carried out to investigate possible interactions. Fucoidans are a group of sulfated carbohydrates, derived from marine brown algae, which have long been used as dietary supplements due to their reported medicinal properties, including anticancer activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of co-administration of fucoidan, derived from Undaria pinnatifida, on the pharmacokinetics of 2 commonly used hormonal therapies, letrozole and tamoxifen, in patients with breast cancer. METHODS: This was an open label non-crossover study in patients with active malignancy taking letrozole or tamoxifen (n = 10 for each group). Patients took oral fucoidan, given in the form of Maritech extract, for a 3-week period (500 mg twice daily). Trough plasma concentrations of letrozole, tamoxifen, 4-hydroxytamoxifen, and endoxifen were measured using HPLC-CAD (high-performance liquid chromatography charged aerosol detector), at baseline and after concomitant administration with fucoidan. RESULTS: No significant changes in steady-state plasma concentrations of letrozole, tamoxifen, or tamoxifen metabolites were detected after co-administration with fucoidan. In addition, no adverse effects of fucoidan were reported, and toxicity monitoring showed no significant differences in all parameters measured over the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan had no significant effect on the steady-state trough concentrations of letrozole or tamoxifen and was well tolerated. These results suggest that fucoidan in the studied form and dosage could be taken concomitantly with letrozole and tamoxifen without the risk of clinically significant interactions.