Efficacity of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for necrotizing fasciitis in the maxillofacial region: The review of the literature.

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rare, dangerous, potentially fatal infectious disease of soft tissue. The treatment consists of antibiotic therapy, surgical debridement and subsequent reconstruction. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy has been applied in NF patients recently, so our aim was to gather the findings and outcomes for HBO therapy. A PubMed and Google Scholar literature search was conducted regarding the effect of HBO therapy in patients with NF following key words: 'necrotizing fasciitis' AND 'maxillofacial region' OR 'head and neck' AND 'hyperbaric oxygen' OR 'HBO'. A total of 3333 studies have been identified, of which only 16 articles met the inclusion criteria of this review. A conclusion was made, that aggressive combinations of antibiotics and surgical debridement followed by incorporation of HBO therapy, as an adjuvant treatment, in patients with NF and in company by immunoglobulin therapy are showing promising results. In addition, multi-centric studies should be in consideration for further research.

Masticatory muscles activity in patients with mandibular angle fractures: A literature review on which procedure to use to reverse the best masticatory muscles functionality.

Introduction: Mandible is the first or the second most fractured bone of facial skeleton. Fractures of the angle account for 23-43% of all mandibular fractures. Soft and hard tissue are affected in a traumatized mandible. Bite forces are an essential factor in masticatory muscles activity. An improved function is a result of improvement in the bite force. Aim: The objective of this research was to conduct a systematic review of all available literature regarding the masticatory muscles' activity and bite forces in patients with mandibular angle fractures. Methods: PubMed, and Google Scholar databases have been searched with the following keywords: "mandibular angle fractures" AND "bite forces "OR "masticatory muscles activity". Results: This research methodology provided 402 articles. Of which 33 were selected for analysis if they were pertinent to the topic. Then only 10 results have been identified and included in this review. Conclusions: We can conclude that bite force decreased significantly after trauma, specifically during the first month after injury, and then increases gradually over time. More randomized clinical trial studies and the incorporation of more methods such as electromyography (EMG) for measuring the electrical activity of muscles and bite force recorder could be considered in the future.