Anatomical Basis for Lip Reconstruction: The Role of the Modiolus.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish the anatomic basis for functional upper and lower lip reconstruction with locoregional flaps. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This article is an anatomic fresh cadaver study. RESULTS: For lower lip reconstruction, the modified Bernard-Webster and Karapandzic flaps preserve the modiolus, buccinator, zygomaticus major muscle, and buccal branches of the facial nerve. The Bernard-Webster flap allowed for a larger oral aperture despite a larger defect, but required transection of the lower lip depressors and orbicularis oris. For upper lip reconstruction, the reverse fan flap preserves the modiolus and its muscle attachments. The reverse Karapandzic flap required transection of the lower lip depressors, buccinator, and the zygomaticus major. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Locoregional flaps remain the workhorse for lip reconstruction. This study provides the anatomic basis for the modiolus and its muscular attachments that permit techniques such as the Bernard-Webster flap and the Karapanzic flap to achieve functional lip reconstruction with innervated and denervated tissue.

Changing trends in adult facial trauma epidemiology.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether the incidence of facial fractures has changed in the United States since 1990. STUDY DESIGN: This study is a retrospective review of all nonpediatric inpatient and outpatient facilities of the Detroit Medical Center from 1990 to 2011 and weighted national inpatient estimates from 1993 to 2010 using the National Inpatient Survey. METHODS: Facial fractures and surgical repairs were grouped according to fracture site and scaled to annual populations. Chow testing determined the year with the most significant change in trend, and regressions were performed before and after the break point. RESULTS: Chow testing showed the year 2000 as the most significant break point across all data sets. National inpatient and institutional data showed a significant decrease in total fractures and most subsites during the 1990s and an increase since 2000. Since 1990, the rate of fracture repairs decreased at our institution and during inpatient stays in the United States. Motor vehicle-related injuries have decreased since the early 1990s. Assault rates have fallen nationally but increased slightly in Detroit. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence from the largest institutional series of adult facial fractures and the largest national inpatient database supports a decrease in fractures and repairs during the 1990s and an increase in fractures despite no change in repairs since 2000. These trends are likely related to increasing use of computed tomographic imaging, decreasing severity of facial injuries, and changing incidences of the major etiologies of facial fractures.

Risk stratification based on thyroid cytology: can we rely on national data?

PURPOSE: Determine correlation of malignancy rates between fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy and surgical specimen in an urban academic environment. METHODS: Retrospective review at an academic medical center of fine needle aspiration biopsies and surgical specimens in a head and neck otolaryngology practice between 2000 and 2012. RESULTS: Of the 74 biopsies diagnosed as follicular lesion, 34 (45.9%) were malignant. Of the 45 biopsies diagnosed as follicular neoplasm, 22 (48.9%) were malignant. These results are significantly higher than the average risk of malignancy cited by the American Thyroid Association of 5%-10% and 20%-30% for follicular lesions and neoplasms respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of malignancy based on a FNA diagnosis of indeterminate cytology (follicular lesion or follicular neoplasm) can vary greatly among different institutions. Thyroid surgeons should be aware of their local pathology practices to better guide therapy and counsel patients.

Salvage of failed local and regional flaps with porcine urinary bladder extracellular matrix aided tissue regeneration.

Local and regional flap failure can be a major complication in head and neck surgery, which continue to be prevalent for a number of reasons including poor flap design, improper surgical technique, and poor tissue vascularity. Dealing with these failures can be quite difficult. Surgical debridement, flap revisions, and complex wound regimens are necessitated to reestablish appropriate tissue coverage. Traditional use of wet to dry dressing to enable proper wound granulation and possible closure with additional flaps or skin grafts is a laborious process. Such treatments place great time burdens on the patient, physicians, and nurses. Because the face and neck possess a complex three-dimensional topography, wound dressings are inherently complex to design and change. Many patients also require postoperative treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy to treat aggressive malignancies, and delay in wound healing leads to a delay in adjuvant treatment. Recently, advances in regenerative medicine, specifically xenogeneic extracellular matrix compounds, have been shown to promote tissue growth while limiting scar tissue formation (Badylak 2004). To our knowledge, this paper is the first case series using the porcine extracellular matrix bioscaffold (MatriStem ACell, Columbia, MD, USA) to salvage flaps with extensive wound breakdown on the face and neck.