Management of central giant cell granuloma with subcutaneous denosumab therapy.

PURPOSE: In recent years, the treatment of central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) has become focused on the inhibition of osteoclast differentiation and proliferation. Medications that were developed for the treatment of giant cell tumor of bone and bone resorption from metastatic skeletal disease have shown some success in the treatment of CGCG. The present report describes 2 cases of CGCG of the mandible that were treated effectively with subcutaneous denosumab. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two cases of histologically diagnosed CGCG of the mandible were treated with monthly subcutaneous injections of denosumab 120 mg primarily or after intralesional corticosteroid therapy. Clinical and radiographic follow-ups were recorded over a period of 24 months (case 1) and 15 months (case 2). RESULTS: In the 2 cases, progressive radiodensity and osseous regeneration were noted 4 to 6 months after denosumab therapy was initiated. A decrease in lesion size and improvement in bone contour and facial symmetry were seen in the 2 cases. CONCLUSION: The major radiographic, clinical, and histologic responses seen in these 2 cases suggest that denosumab may represent a viable alternative or adjunctive procedure to eliminate or decrease the extent of surgical intervention and morbidity in the treatment of CGCG. Future prospective studies with a larger sample would provide more comprehensive information about the long-term effects and possible adverse side effects of treating CGCG of the jaws with denosumab.

Applications of surgical navigational systems for craniofacial bone-anchored implant placement.

The following case reports describe the use of computer-assisted image-guided surgery to plan and place craniofacial bone-anchored implants (CBAI) for facial prosthetic reconstructions. During virtual planning, the soft tissue and bone visualizations are segmented from spiral computed tomography data and the patient's normal anatomy is mirrored onto the skull of the defect side, thus providing the ability to visualize the future prosthetic form. CBAI are planned in the anatomical area that leads to the best cosmetic results. Bone quantity is directly assessed at the surgical sites with the integrated instrumentation while the clinician navigates within the images and virtual planning scheme in real time. The aim of this report is to show a technique that incorporates computer-assisted image-guided surgery into the preoperative planning and surgical placement of CBAI. The use of this technology to plan and place implants in the most ideal location for facial prosthetic treatment eliminated the need for a conventional or prototyped surgical guide.

Virtual Preoperative Planning and Intraoperative Navigation in Facial Prosthetic Reconstruction: A Technical Note.

This technical protocol outlines the use of computer-assisted image-guided technology for the preoperative planning and intraoperative procedures involved in implant-retained facial prosthetic treatment. A contributing factor for a successful prosthetic restoration is accurate preoperative planning to identify prosthetically driven implant locations that maximize bone contact and enhance cosmetic outcomes. Navigational systems virtually transfer precise digital planning into the operative field for placing implants to support prosthetic restorations. In this protocol, there is no need to construct a physical, and sometimes inaccurate, surgical guide. The report addresses treatment workflow, radiologic data specifications, and special considerations in data acquisition, virtual preoperative planning, and intraoperative navigation for the prosthetic reconstruction of unilateral, bilateral, and midface defects. Utilization of this protocol for the planning and surgical placement of craniofacial bone-anchored implants allows positioning of implants to be prosthetically driven, accurate, precise, and efficient, and leads to a more predictable treatment outcome.

Proximal tibia bone harvest: review of technique, complications, and use in maxillofacial surgery.

Autologous bone grafts for alveolar ridge augmentation are the gold standard for restoring atrophic residual ridges in preprosthetic surgery. Many indications, donor sites, and techniques have been reported. The purpose of this article is to review the anatomy, surgical technique, and potential complications associated with proximal tibia bone harvest. A consecutive series of 44 patients who underwent proximal tibia bone graft harvest between 2000 and 2003 was studied by retrospective chart review. Five major and 7 minor complications were observed; overall morbidity was low. A significant amount of corticocancellous bone may be harvested from the proximal tibia with minimal morbidity.

Bone reduction surgical guide for the Novum implant procedure: technical note.

The Novum System offers a unique opportunity to create a definitive, immediately loaded fixed prosthesis on the edentulous mandible for patients who meet specific presurgical criteria. Since this system is based on precisely placed implants and prefabricated bar structures, the surgical techniques are critical in obtaining a satisfactory result. It is especially important that the bone reduction required to create space for the implants and bar assembly be in the proper plane and deep enough to leave room for eventually setting and processing teeth. The surgical guide described here can be an important adjunct during bone reduction to assure proper spatial positioning of the preformed titanium bars. Mounted casts of the correct or corrected maxillary dentition and mandibular arch are required at the appropriate vertical dimension of occlusion. The mandibular cast is reduced in prescribed dimensions to allow the subsequent creation of a processed resin surgical guide for use during the initial stages of surgery. This guide, when used for bone reduction during surgery, eliminates the arbitrary removal of osseous structure and helps assure the plane of implant placement is appropriate for each patient. When used routinely, a significant complication of the Novum procedure can be minimized or eliminated completely. Setting of teeth and processing are subsequently simplified, especially in the posterior dimensions, with this guide technique.

Early clinical experience with a new one-piece implant system in single tooth sites.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a new 1-piece implant in single tooth sites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Early clinical results were evaluated through observation and collection of survival data for 45 1-piece Direct implants (Nobel Biocare, Yorba Linda, CA). Patients ranged in age from 19 to 54 years, of which 23 were women and 12 were men. Both anterior and posterior single tooth defects were treated, with the majority being in the maxillary anterior zone. Five of the 45 implants placed were in immediate extraction sites. Observation periods ranged from 2.5 to 32 months. RESULTS: One implant failure was detected over the observation period. It occurred in a maxillary lateral incisor site, and was placed and immediately loaded after tooth extraction. The overall success rate was 97.8%. CONCLUSION: Within the limited parameters of this study, it can be concluded that the 1-piece implant design can be used effectively as a basis for restoring single tooth defects. Longer observation periods, more detailed soft tissue analysis, and larger numbers of implants in varied arch sites will be required to establish definitive protocols for the use of this implant.

Evaluation of ocular changes secondary to blowout fractures.

There has been extensive debate over the standard of care of orbital fractures. Entrapment, diplopia, and hypoglobus, with or without enophthalmos, are the most common clinical indications for surgical intervention. Evaluation of these injuries is often limited in the early postinjury period because of edema. In assessing the severity of the injury, the clinician often uses parameters such as changes in visual acuity, patient-reported diplopia, gross changes in globe position, and an evaluation of the extraocular muscles. Many of these parameters are only grossly assessed and therefore are not specifically documented and tracked. The decision to proceed with surgical intervention may be based only on these gross clinical findings. The purpose of this article is to present a reliable and repeatable method for evaluating the degree of diplopia and the globe position of the orbital trauma patient by describing the use of the double Maddox rod test (Wilson Ophthalmic, Mustang, OK) and Hertel exophthalmometer (Wilson Ophthalmic). These methods can provide sequential documentation of the progression of the injury and help better define the need for surgical intervention and to follow the postoperative course.

Predicting lower lip and chin response to mandibular advancement and genioplasty.

The purposes of this retrospective study were to examine the multidimensional nature of soft tissue changes associated with mandibular advancement and genioplasty and to develop predictive models. Longitudinal lateral cephalograms of 62 nongrowing patients (27 men and 35 women) were taken in centric relation with the lips in repose within 4 weeks before surgery and at least 6 months postoperatively (median postsurgical duration was 11 months). The mandibular incisor and pogonion were advanced surgically approximately 6 mm and 11 mm, respectively. The lower lip lengthened slightly (2.5 +/- 3.8 mm), and its surface contour straightened because of thinning at labrale inferior (-2.8 +/- 2.0 mm); there was a slight thickening at the labiomental fold (1.0 +/- 2.3 mm) and a slight thinning at soft tissue pogonion (-0.8 +/- 2.2 mm). Multiple regression models (explaining from 80% to 94% and 66% to 82% of the variation for horizontal and vertical movements, respectively) showed that soft tissue response to advancement surgery depended on pretreatment tissue thickness, horizontal skeletal movement, vertical skeletal movement, and the position of the maxillary incisors. Similar amounts of variation were explained when the models were applied to an independent validation sample of 15 subjects. It was concluded that lower lip and chin response to mandibular advancement and genioplasty is multifactorial but can be accurately and reliably predicted.