Reconstruction of oral mucosal defects with regenerative dermal matrix after T1-T2 squamocellular carcinoma resection.

OBJECTIVE: Resection of tumors of oral cavity usually causes short- or long-term sequelae such as chewing, speech and swallowing impairment. To preserve this function it is necessary to maintain the lining of the oral cavity, the mobility and sensitivity of the tongue. Reconstructive options for oral mucosal defects resulting from tumor resection included primary closure, mucosal and skin grafts, pedicle and microvascular free flaps, and dermal matrix. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study on patients undergoing reconstruction of intraoral defects, after removal of T1, T2 malignant tumors, by placement of bilayer dermal matrix. METHODS: From 2021 to 2022, 47 patients with oral mucosa defects after removal of squamous cell carcinoma were treated. All patients were affected by a T1-T2 squamous cell carcinoma. For each patient, data were collected regarding the site of the disease, the initial staging, the size of the surgical defect, the complications and the outcome months after the operation. RESULTS: In all treated cases the surgical defect involved the mucosa of the cheek, the oral floor or the tongue with an average size of 5.45cm2. Patients who underwent this type of reconstruction benefited from excellent healing of intraoral wounds and good restoration of oral function 6 months after surgery. Out of the total number of patients, membrane attachment failure was reported in only two cases. CONCLUSION: As emerges from the data reported in our study, the dermal matrix represents a valid alternative in oncological reconstructive surgery for small/medium-sized intraoral mucosal defects because it allows re-epithelialization of the wound.

Presurgical Virtual Planning and Intraoperative Navigation with 3D-Preformed Mesh: A New Protocol for Primary Orbital Fracture Reconstruction.

PURPOSE: This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of computer-assisted surgery protocol with 3D-preformed orbital titanium mesh (3D-POTM), using presurgical virtual planning and intraoperative navigation in primary inferomedial orbital fracture reconstruction. METHODS: Between March 2021 and March 2023, perioperative data of patients undergoing surgery for unilateral inferomedial orbital fracture treated with 3D-POTM were analyzed. Presurgical virtual planning with a Standard Triangle Language file of preformed mesh was conducted using the mirrored unaffected contralateral side as a reference, and intraoperative navigation was used. The reconstruction accuracy was determined by: correspondence between postoperative reconstruction mesh position with presurgical virtual planning and difference among the reconstructed and the unaffected orbital volume. Pre- and postoperative diplopia and enophthalmos were assessed. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were included. Isolated orbital floor fracture was reported in 14 (53.8%) patients, meanwhile medial wall and floor one in 12 (46.1%) cases. The mean difference between final plate position and ideal digital plan was 0.692 mm (95% CI: 0.601-0.783). The mean volume difference between reconstructed and unaffected orbit was 1.02 mL (95% CI: 0.451-1.589). Preoperative diplopia was settled out in all cases and enophthalmos in 19 (76.2%) of 21 patients. CONCLUSION: The proposed protocol is an adaptable and reliable workflow for the early treatment of inferomedial orbital fractures. It enables precise preoperative planning and intraoperative procedures, mitigating pitfalls and complications, and delivering excellent reconstruction, all while maintaining reasonable costs and commitment times.

Customized orbital implant versus 3D preformed titanium mesh for orbital fracture repair: A retrospective comparative analysis of orbital reconstruction accuracy.

This study aimed to compare the accuracy of inferomedial orbital fracture restoration using customized orbital implant versus 3D preformed titanium mesh. Patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 underwent surgery with customized orbital implants and intraoperative navigation, while group 2 was treated using 3D preformed titanium meshes with preoperative virtual surgical planning (VSP) and intraoperative navigation. Reconstruction accuracy was assessed by: (1) comparing the postoperative reconstruction mesh position with the preoperative VSP; and (2) measuring the difference between the reconstructed and unaffected orbital volume. Pre- and postoperative diplopia and enophthalmos were also evaluated. Fifty-two patients were enrolled (25 in group 1 vs 27 in group 2). The mean difference between final plate position and ideal digital plan was 0.62 mm (SD = 0.235) in group 1 and 0.69 mm (SD = 0.246) in group 2, with no statistical difference between the groups (p = 0.282). The mean volume differences between the reconstructed and unaffected orbits were 0.95 ml and 1.02 ml in group 1 and group 2, respectively, with no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.860). Overall clinical improvements, as well as complications, were similar. 3D preformed titanium meshes can reconstruct inferomedial fractures with the same accuracy as customized implants. Therefore, in clinical practice, it is recommended to use 3D preformed meshes for this type of fracture due to their excellent results and the potential for reducing time and costs.

Reduction of Post-Surgical Facial Edema Following Bromelain and Coumarin Intake in Traumatology: A Prospective Study with 100 Patients.

Background: Bromelain and coumarins are recognized as safe and effective therapeutic agents, used by individuals to treat ailments such as postoperative edema, inflammation and other diseases. Bromelain has been proven to be well absorbed by the body after oral administration, and it has no major side effects even after prolonged use. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of bromelain and other nutraceuticals in reducing post-surgical swelling, pain and the need of anti-inflammatory drugs in maxillofacial post-traumatic surgery. Methods: This prospective open-label study was conducted on patients undergoing surgery for trauma of the maxillofacial area. One hundred patients were selected and divided into two groups: one group who underwent therapy with bromelain, Aesculus hippocastanum and Melilotus officinalis and a control group that was not given the drug in postoperative therapy. Results: Patients in the experimental group showed a reduction of edema in the first and second postoperative weeks, a faster complete reduction of facial edema and a lower reduction in maximum mouth opening and needed less anti-inflammatory therapy to control pain. Conclusions: These findings seem to provide evidence that Brovas® may be effective in improving postoperative edema outcomes in patients undergoing surgical treatment of facial fractures.

Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty: Diamond Injection Technique for Nasal Tip Contouring.

Background: A more pleasing nasal tip appearance is becoming the most frequent reason for nonsurgical aesthetic rhinoplasty procedures. Objective: To present the "Diamond Injection Technique," an innovative 4-point hyaluronic acid (HA) filler injection procedure for nasal tip refinement and to assess its aesthetic outcomes and efficacy. Methods: Data were collected from a prospective single-center cohort of patients undergoing nonsurgical rhinoplasty with injectable fillers. Anthropometric measurements, the 5-point Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS), and a patient-reported questionnaire were used to evaluate the aesthetic outcomes and treatment efficacy before treatment and 6 months later. Results: The study included 107 patients; 82 were women. The median age was 35 (18-47) years. The mean volume of HA filler injected was 0.12 mL (range: 0.05-0.2). At 6 months, the GAIS-calculated outcome was excellent in 90.65% of patients, with a high degree of patient satisfaction and objectively pleasant changes in anthropometric measurements. Conclusions: The "Diamond Injection Technique" proves to be a safe, comprehensive, and effective procedure for refining the nasal tip to a pleasing diamond shape, satisfying a high percentage of patients.

Changes in hospital admissions for facial fractures during and after COVID 19 pandemic: national multicentric epidemiological analysis on 2938 patients.

PURPOSE: The objective of this multicenter study was to examine the differences in maxillo-facial fractures epidemiology across the various phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. METHODS: This is a retrospective study on patients who underwent surgery for facial bone fractures in 18 maxillo-facial surgery departments in Italy, spanning from June 23, 2019, to February 23, 2022. Based on the admission date, the data were classified into four chronological periods reflecting distinct periods of restrictions in Italy: pre-pandemic, first wave, partial restrictions, and post-pandemic. Epidemiological differences across the groups were analysed. RESULTS: The study included 2938 patients. A statistically significant difference in hospitalization causes was detected between the pre-pandemic and first wave groups (p = 0.005) and between the pre-pandemic and partial restriction groups (p = 0.002). The differences between the pre- and post-pandemic groups were instead not significant (p = 0.106). Compared to the pre-pandemic period, the number of patients of African origin was significantly higher during the first wave and the post-pandemic period. No statistically significant differences were found across the periods concerning gender, age, fracture type, treatment approach, and hospital stay duration CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic brought about significant changes in fracture epidemiology, influenced by the restrictive measures enforced by the government in Italy. Upon the pandemic's conclusion, the fracture epidemiology returned to the patterns observed in the pre-pandemic period.

Orbital Fractures: A New CT-Based Protocol to Guide the Surgical Approach and Reconstruction Material Decision-Making.

Preoperative computer-assisted planning and intraoperative navigation are becoming popular for orbital fracture treatment. However, not all institutions currently have access to these computer-aided applications. The authors present a simple and intuitive operative algorithm to guide orbital fracture reconstructions. The operative algorithm was based on linear measurements of orbital defects on high-resolution Computer tomography (CT) scans using specific axial, coronal, and sagittal plane images. The fractures were then divided into 3 types based on site and defect-size area. For each type, the authors suggested a surgical approach and material reconstruction. Between February 2022 and January 2023, 57 patients were treated according to the described CT-based protocol. The quality of reconstruction was classified as ideal, satisfactory, acceptable, and poor based on postoperative CT. Diplopia, enophthalmos, and postoperative complications were assessed. Fifty-seven patients were included. Forty-four (77.2%) patients were included in the type 1 group, 4 (7.01%) in the type 2 group, and 9 (15.79%) in the type 3 group. The reconstruction was considered ideal in 54 (94.7%) cases, satisfactory in 2 (3.5%), and acceptable in 1 (1.8%). No revision surgery was required. In all cases, preoperative diplopia was settled out, and only 1 patient reported postoperative enophthalmos. No complications occurred, with good clinical results and orbital symmetry. The linear CT measurement-based protocol is a simple and reliable workflow to guide the surgeon's choice of reconstruction material and surgical approach for primary orbital reconstruction. It allows good management of orbital trauma and could help standardize treatment decisions with an imaging technique available in all institutions.

The Impact of Professional Oral Hygiene in Orthognathic Surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Oral hygiene represents a fundamental element with regard to outcomes in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Both basic hygiene that the patient must perform daily at home and obviously professional hygiene aimed at preventing any complications in the surgical field. METHODS: Patients undergoing orthognathic surgery in our Department of Maxillofacial Surgery in Ancona, in a total number of 137 in the period studied (2016-2021), were divided into 2 groups: period 1, (2016-2018) and period 2 (2019-2021). The division into 2 groups derives from the establishment of a professional oral hygiene protocol established starting from January 2019 and put into practice by dental hygienists. The protocol consists of preoperative counseling and above all very precise instructions in the postoperative so as to optimize the oral hygiene process, assist in the best possible wound healing and reduce possible postoperative complications. Anamnestic, cephalometric data, measurements of the distances between certain landmarks for the evaluation of facial edema, patient-referred pain, accurate intraoral and extraoral physical examination both pre and postoperative, and complications were collected for each patient. CONCLUSIONS: The main goal of the study authors set is to evaluate the effective impact of professional oral hygiene in the pre and postoperative management of patients undergoing orthognathic surgery, taking into account parameters, such as facial edema and pain, and using evaluation scales, making a comparison with the data reported in the 3 years before and after the establishment of the protocol applied by the authors.

Buccal Fat Pad Flap in Orthognathic Surgery: Facial Soft Tissue Volume's Redistribution Strategy to Improve the Esthetic Outcomes.

Traditional osteotomic procedures can fail to restore the natural appearance of the face and can sometimes highlight the intrinsic decrease in the volume of soft tissues; in these cases, soft-tissue-improving procedures should be considered. The authors describe a new strategy that can help redistribute facial soft tissues and enhance facial esthetics in orthognathic surgery using a pedicled buccal fat flap to increase the volume of the malar soft tissue envelope. Between January 2017 and January 2021, 47 patients with dentoskeletal deformity who needed to increase the projection of the cheekbone contour underwent orthognathic surgery with simultaneous pedicled buccal fat pad flap for malar augmentation. Preoperative and postoperative facial appearance was evaluated by clinical examination and analysis of photographs to assess the occlusal and esthetic outcomes. A patient questionnaire was used to assess self-evaluation satisfaction scores. A good projection of the cheekbone contour was obtained, and noticeable postoperative facial esthetic improvement was observed in all patients. The overall esthetic improvement was considered "excellent" by 89.36% of patients, and facial esthetic improvement was assessed as "very much improved" or "much improved" by the clinicians in 95.7% of cases. The buccal fat pad flap is a promising and easy technique in orthognathic surgery that helps harmonize the malar region; improve esthetic outcomes with predictable and lasting long-term stability; and ensure very low morbidity and great esthetic satisfaction.

New Tunneled Buccal Fat Pad Flap for Palatal Reconstruction.

In the palatal defects due to surgical resection, flap selection is very important for a correct reconstruction. Different methods have been suggested over the time, however the pedicled buccal fat pad is a simple, effective, reliable flap for reconstruction after palate tumor resection. The aim of the present study is to introduce a new surgical technique for palate reconstruction with pedicled buccal fat pad flap exposing the advantages. The Authors performed this procedure in 17 patients in order to treat medium-sized oncologic surgical defect of palate region in the period between 2016 and 2019. Complete wound healing after only 4 weeks without complication after 12 months follow-up was observed. This is the first cases series described with this new technique.

Fronto-orbito-zygomatic (FOZ) approach for infratemporal fossa lesions extending to middle cranial fossa: our experience and review of literature.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Tumours of the infratemporal fossa (ITF) are rare and include primary tumours, contiguity lesions and metastases. Surgical resection is the gold standard. The fronto-orbito-zygomatic (FOZ) approach is commonly used in order to obtain safe access to the lateral skull base and ITF to resect intra- and extra-cranial tumours. We here describe our series of ITF lesions extending to the middle cranial fossa and/or orbit, treated by single- or two piece FOZ. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All cases of single- or two-piece FOZ approach for an infratemporal fossa lesion extending to the middle cranial fossa operated at our Institution from January 2014 to January 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The follow-up was for a minimum of four months and a maximum of 60 months. The inclusion criteria were lesions involving the ITF with an extension to the middle cranial fossa and/or orbit. Baseline characteristics of patients, tumour localisation, tumour extension, diffusion route, histology, extent of tumour resection, postoperative treatment, and post-operative complications were evaluated. RESULTS: Nine patients underwent a surgical procedure with a FOZ approach, two of them with a single-piece approach and the remainder with a two-piece one. All patients had an ITF localisation. Gross total removal (GTR) was achieved in 7/9 patients. Only one patient, with non-total removal (NTR), underwent radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: For the treatment of ITF fossa tumours extending to the orbit and or middle cranial fossa, we believe that both FOZ techniques are effective and allow a good medial extension toward the cavernous sinus and parasellar region. But a two-piece craniotomy may ensure a more medial extension and a wider angle of work compared to a one-piece craniotomy.

Customized and Navigated Primary Orbital Fracture Reconstruction: Computerized Operation Neuronavigated Surgery Orbital Recent Trauma (CONSORT) Protocol.

ABSTRACT: Combined orbital medial wall and floor fractures and large isolated orbital floor fractures commonly require surgical treatment due to the high probability of diplopia and enophthal-mos. Primary reconstruction of these orbital fractures requires a high-level surgeon with a great amount of technical surgical skill. The use of novel technology can greatly improve the accuracy of reconstruction and achieve satisfactory clinical outcomes. Hence, the authors aimed to present our findings and overall experience with respect to extensive floor and medial wall orbital fracture reconstruction according to the Computerized Operation Neuronavigated Surgery Orbital Recent Trauma (CONSORT) protocol, a workflow designed for the primary reconstruction of orbital fractures with customized mesh and intraoperative navigation. A total of 25 consecutively presenting patients presenting with unilateral extensive orbital floor fractures and orbital floor and medial wall fractures were treated following the CONSORT workflow from January 2017 to March 2020. Fractures were surgically treated with a customized implant and intraoperative navigation. Patients underwent surgery within 14 days of the trauma injury. Preopera-tive and postoperative functional and aesthetic outcomes are described herein. All fractures were successfully reconstructed. Postoperatively, all 19 patients with preoperative diplopia reported the resolution of diplopia. Enophthalmos resolved in 18/20 cases. No patients had major complications during follow-up. Thus, the authors conclude that the CONSORT protocol introduced by the authors is an adaptable and reliable workflow for the early treatment of orbital fractures and can clearly optimize functional and aesthetic outcomes, reduce costs and intensive time commitments, and make customized and navigated surgery more available for institutions.

Palatal reconstruction with tunnellized Bichat fat pad flap after tumor resection.

BACKGROUND: Reconstruction of palate defects following tumor ablative surgery can be a challenging problem. Different methods have been suggested over the time for the reconstruction of postoperative palatal defects. Since the first report of the Bichat fat pad flap in1977, it has become one of the most used flaps for the reconstruction of palate after tumor excision. We report our results using the tunnellized Bichat fat pad (BFP) flap for 23 cases of palate reconstruction after minor salivary glands tumor excision. METHODS: The authors performed a tunnellized Bichat fat pad flap for primary reconstruction of small- medium-sized surgical defects of the palate in 23 patients suffering from minor salivary glands palatal tumors in the period between 2016 and 2019. Each case was reviewed for primary pathologic findings, wound healing, postoperative complications. RESULTS: All 23 tunnellized BFP procedures showed excellent recovery and uneventful follow-up. With this technique after 12 months follow-up complete wound healing after only 4 weeks without complication was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The tunnellized BFP flap is useful, easy, and uncomplicated new alternative method for primary reconstruction of small to medium-sized palatal surgical defects, that can be performed with a very low morbidity. Submucosal tunnel for the pedicle passage introduced by the Authors adds some advantages in final outcomes with less discomfort for the patients, proving to be a technique able to adds itself to surgical reconstructive technique available today.

A New Operative One-Wing Technique to Correct Fronto-Orbital Region in Unilateral Nonsyndromic Plagiocephaly.

Anterior plagiocephaly is a premature closing of unilateral coronal suture. This premature suture fusion causes a series of cranial asymmetry and alteration of the fronto-orbital region.The authors described a new surgical technique to correct the facial asymmetry that reduces the operative time and the possible complications.In a period between 2013and 2016, 12 children affected by nonsyndromic anterior plagiocephaly were treated with this new procedure.Clinical, cranial development, and absence of postoperative complication demonstrated that one-wing surgical bone correction is a useful and innovative technique.

A new operative open-wings technique to correct the frontoforehead unit in metopic synostosis.

The technology adoption and creation of a multidisciplinary team have helped to overcome the complexity associated. Craniofacial surgery has thus emerged from the valuable contributions of neurosurgery, maxillofacial surgery, plastic surgery, eyes, nose, and throat as well as head and neck surgery. A patient with trigonocephaly may present a prominent "keel" forehead, accompanied by recession of the lateral orbit rims, hypotelorism, and constriction of the anterior frontal fossa when the metopic suture fuses before 6 months of age. In a period between 2007 and 2011, in the Salesi Children's Hospital, were treated for nonsyndromic variety of metopic synostosis 11 infants; their ages ranged from 6 months to 9 months, and 7 were males and 4 females. The most important aims of our new surgical technique are the achievement of symmetry as well as normal proportion and reconstruction of the frontoforehead unit but remaining in a very conservative treatment. The morphology and position of the supraorbital ridge-lateral orbital rim region are key elements of upper facial esthetics. This new "open-wings" technique for the reconfiguration of the bilateral emisupraorbital bar requires a midline incomplete osteotomy that involves only the internal cortex of the frontonasal region. Hence, both lateral orbital walls are bent inwardly and tilting forward, as in computed tomographic scan planning, with a greenstick fracture pivoting on the preserved medial frontonasal region. This open-wings conservative technique allows the avoidance of the most important complication that may result in the traditional way such as dead space in the anterior cranial fossa, infections, and blood loss but with an achievement of satisfactory craniofacial form and aesthetic result.

Three-dimensional volumetric restoration by structural fat grafting.

The use of adipose tissue transfer for correction of maxillofacial defects was reported for the first time at the end of the 19th century. Structural fat grafting (SFG) was introduced as a way to improve facial esthetics and in recent years has evolved into applications in craniomaxillofacial reconstructive surgery. Several techniques have been proposed for harvesting and grafting the fat. However, owing to the damage of many adipocytes during these maneuvers, the results have not been satisfactory and have required several fat injection procedures for small corrections. The author's (L.C.) overview the application of SFG in the management of volumetric deficit in the craniomaxillofacial in patients treated with a long-term follow-up.

Management of temporomandibular joint reankylosis in syndromic patients corrected with joint prostheses: surgical and rehabilitation protocols.

Temporomandibular joint ankylosis (TMJA) is a severe disorder described as an intracapsular union of the disc-condyle complex to the temporal articular surface with bony fusion. The management of this disability is challenging and rarely based on surgical and rehabilitation protocols. We describe the treatment in two young adults affected by Goldenhar syndrome and Pierre Robin sequence with reankylosis after previous surgical treatments. There are three main surgical procedures for the treatment of TMJA: gap arthroplasty, interpositional arthroplasty, and joint reconstruction. Various authors have described reankylosis as a frequent event after treatment. Treatment failure could be associated with surgical errors and/or inadequate intensive postoperative physiotherapy. Surgical treatment should be individually tailored and adequate postoperative physiotherapy protocol is mandatory for success.

Cranial bone grafts in forehead reconstruction after resection for benign tumors.

Cranial bone graft was first used in forehead reconstruction by Muller and König as early as 1890. Because cranial bone graft is the ideal material for almost all facial and skull repairs, surgeons have subsequently used this technique to repair skull defects. In fact, membranous bone (calvaria) is superior to endochondral bone (ilium, rib) and maintains its volume to a significantly greater extent than endochondral bone.The authors, after reviewing the literature, report 3 cases of forehead benign tumors treated by resection and primary reconstruction using cranial bone grafts. The preoperative computed tomographic scanning should lead to appropriate diagnosis and treatment planning, which includes total excision and primary bone grafting of the defect to prevent soft-tissue contraction.

Craniofacial surgical strategies for the correction of pneumosinus dilatans frontalis.

INTRODUCTION: Pneumosinus dilatans is a rare condition and different techniques have been proposed for its management and correction. The abnormally expanded, aerated frontal sinus has been described in the literature as: frontal sinus hypertrophy, pneumosinus dilatans, pneumosinus frontalis, aerocele, pneumocele, sinus ectasia, hyperpneumatization and others. The precise aetiology and pathogenesis of the condition is unknown, although several basic hypotheses have been proposed MATERIAL AND METHODS: The authors report two cases of frontal bossing and supraorbital ridge deformity correction using craniofacial surgical principles. DISCUSSION: Functional and morphological results are discussed and compared with other open procedures. CONCLUSION: A variety of surgical procedures have been proposed for the correction of the pneumosinus dilatans frontalis. The craniofacial approach is advocated to reproduce the normal anatomy of the forehead in the upper part, the supraorbital rim and glabellar area.

Contouring of the forehead irregularities (washboard effect) with bone biomaterial.

Calvarial vault defects may be repaired with autologous bone or alloplastic materials, such as methyl methacrylate, hydroxyapatite, titanium, or porous polyethylene. The criterion standard for repairing small cranial defects is autogenous bone from iliac crest or split calvarial grafts. However, autogenous grafts may result in donor-site morbidity, increased operative time, reabsorption, blood loss, and additional time for recovery. An alloplastic material should have some ideal properties, including easy adaptation, biocompatibility, which permit ingrowth of new tissue, stability of shape, and low rate of reabsorption. An implant in this area should be easily shaped and positioned, allowing an easy tissue in growth.The authors report the case of a 50-year-old man with a deformity of the frontal region as a result of a frontonaso-orbitoethmoidal fracture after reduction and fixation of the fractures and right frontal sinus cranialization with frontal craniotomy via coronal approach. The deformity caused the typical aspect (washboard effect). Correction and reconstruction were performed by using Cerament (Bonesupport AB, Lund, Sweden), alloplastic biphasic material, composed of 60% α-hemihydrate of calcium sulfate and 40% hydroxyapatite. Four years after the surgery, the patient had recovered with satisfactory morphology of the forehead as well as disappearance of the frowning look in the frontal region.