Vaulting further: cranial vault expansion for craniocerebral disproportion without primary craniosynostosis.

PURPOSE: Treatment of subjects with refractory idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) or shunted hydrocephalus with chronic shunt complications is challenging. What is the role for cranial vault expansion, particularly utilizing posterior vault distraction osteogenesis (PVDO), in these cases? This study assesses medium-term efficacy of cranial vault expansion in this unique patient population. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of patients who underwent cranial vault expansion from 2008 to 2023 at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Subjects who did not have a diagnosis of primary craniosynostosis were included in the study. Demographic information, medical history, and perioperative details were collected from medical records. Primary outcomes were the rate of CSF diversion procedures and resolution of presenting signs and symptoms. Secondary outcomes were perioperative and 90-day complications and reoperation requirement. RESULTS: Among 13 included subjects, nine (69.2%) patients had a primary diagnosis of shunted hydrocephalus and 4 (30.8%) patients had IIH. Twelve (92.3%) subjects underwent posterior vault distraction osteogenesis (PVDO) and one (7.7%) underwent posterior vault remodeling (PVR). All 4 patients with IIH demonstrated symptomatic improvement following PVDO, including resolution of headaches, vomiting, and/or papilledema. Among 9 patients with shunted hydrocephalus, CSF diversion requirement decreased from 2.7 ± 1.6 procedures per year preoperatively to 1.2 ± 1.8 per year following cranial vault expansion (p = 0.030). The mean postoperative follow-up was 4.1 ± 2.1 years and four (30.8%) patients experienced complications within 90 days of surgery, including infection (n = 2), CSF leak (n = 1), and elevated ICP requiring lumbar puncture (n = 1). Four (30.8%) patients underwent repeat cranial vault expansion for recurrence of ICP-related symptoms. At most recent follow-up, 7 of 9 patients with shunted hydrocephalus demonstrated symptomatic improvement. CONCLUSION: Cranial vault expansion reduced intracranial hypertension-related symptomology as well as the rate of CSF diversion-related procedures in patients with refractory IIH and shunted hydrocephalus without craniosynostosis, and should be considered in those who have significant shunt morbidity.

Craniofacial Soft-Tissue Anthropomorphic Database with Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Unbiased Diffeomorphic Registration.

BACKGROUND: Objective assessment of craniofacial surgery outcomes in a pediatric population is challenging because of the complexity of patient presentations, diversity of procedures performed, and rapid craniofacial growth. There is a paucity of robust methods to quantify anatomical measurements by age and objectively compare craniofacial dysmorphology and postoperative outcomes. Here, the authors present data in developing a racially and ethnically sensitive anthropomorphic database, providing plastic and craniofacial surgeons with "normal" three-dimensional anatomical parameters with which to appraise and optimize aesthetic and reconstructive outcomes. METHODS: Patients with normal craniofacial anatomy undergoing head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from 2008 to 2021 were included in this retrospective study. Images were used to construct composite (template) images with diffeomorphic image registration method using the Advanced Normalization Tools package. Composites were thresholded to generate binary three-dimensional segmentations used for anatomical measurements in Materalise Mimics. RESULTS: High-resolution MRI scans from 130 patients generated 12 composites from an average of 10 MRI sequences each: four 3-year-olds, four 4-year-olds, and four 5-year-olds (two male, two female, two Black, and two White). The average head circumference of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old composites was 50.3, 51.5, and 51.7 cm, respectively, comparable to normative data published by the World Health Organization. CONCLUSIONS: Application of diffeomorphic registration-based image template algorithm to MRI is effective in creating composite templates to represent "normal" three-dimensional craniofacial and soft-tissue anatomy. Future research will focus on development of automated computational tools to characterize anatomical normality, generation of indices to grade preoperative severity, and quantification of postoperative results to reduce subjectivity bias.

Visual Attention Toward Patients with Hemifacial Microsomia Reconstruction: A Prospective Eye-Tracking Study.

BACKGROUND: Facial areas attracting the most visual attention in Hemifacial Microsomia (HFM) are poorly understood. Further, it is not clear if and how visual attention changes from pre- to post-operatively. This study characterized layperson visual attention to pre- and post-reconstruction hemifacial microsomia (HFM) using eye-tracking technology. METHODS: Visual fixations (Tobii Pro Nano) were recorded in four areas of interest from sixty participants completing two consecutive trials of 68 total images in each hemi-face of 17 patients with HFM pre- and post- orthognathic jaw reconstruction. Linear mixed effect models evaluated if visual fixations were affected by surgical reconstruction. RESULTS: 47,354 visual fixations were captured over 120 trials within defined AOIs. Linear mixed effect models revealed significantly decreased postoperative visual fixations in the mandible and chin region [716 (54.8%) pre-reconstruction, 591 (45.2%) post reconstruction; ß = -0.198, SE = 0.056, z = -3.550, p < 0.001]. Analysis also revealed significantly increased postoperative visual fixations in the forehead and orbit region [11350 (48.6%) pre-reconstruction, 12000 (51.4%) post-reconstruction; ß = 0.086, SE = 0.015, z = 5.664, p < 0.00001]. CONCLUSIONS: Following corrective jaw surgery for HFM, laypersons demonstrated significantly less visual attention to the mandible and chin and increased visual attention to the forehead and orbit. These findings suggest postoperative improvement towards aesthetic normalcy may reduce visual attention to previously anomalous anatomy.

Pharyngeal Airway Changes Following Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis as Evaluated with Laryngoscopy.

PURPOSE: Mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) may improve airway grade in patients with Robin Sequence (RS), but little is known about the response of the oropharyngeal airway to the distraction process in cases of tongue base obstruction (TBAO). This study used drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) to evaluate the impact of MDO on the oropharynx. METHODS: RS patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were prospectively enrolled, and underwent DISE prior to MDO, and at the time of distractor removal. Laryngoscopy views, glossoptosis degree, polysomnography (PSG) results, oxygen saturations and airway measurements were compared pre- and post-MDO. RESULTS: Twenty patients met inclusion criteria. At the time of distractor placement, a grade II laryngoscopic view was most frequently observed (63%), and one patient (5%) had a grade I view. Median obstructive apnea hypopnea index (OAHI) improved after MDO (49.1 [30.2-74.0] to 9.1, [3.9-18.0], p ≤ .001). Median oxygen saturation nadir also improved (preoperative 69% [60-76] to 85% [82-91], p ≤ .001). At distractor removal, mean laryngoscopic view improved (p ≤ .002) with no views that were grade 3 or higher. Median intraoperative oropharyngeal width improved, (3.1 mm [2.8-4.4] to 6.0 mm [4.4-6.8], p ≤ .021), as did median cephalometric anteroposterior oropharyngeal width (3.5 mm [2.7-4.1] to 6.3 mm [5.6-8.2], p ≤ .002). CONCLUSION: Following MDO, RS patients with TBAO have an approximate doubling of oropharyngeal width and an improvement in laryngoscopic grade. These findings likely contribute to improved oxygenation, OAHI and ease of intubation.

A Novel Phenotype of Calvarial Thickening and Increased Rates of Premature Calvarial Suture Closure in Children With Chronic Lung Disease.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to characterize a novel type of calvarial thickening and provide objective measurements of skull thickness and calvarial suture morphology in patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. METHODS: Infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia who also had undergone computed tomography (CT) scans were identified from the neonatal chronic lung disease program database. Thickness analysis was performed using Materialise Mimics. RESULTS: The chronic lung disease team treated 319 patients during the study interval of which, 58 patients (18.2%) had head CT available. Twenty-eight (48.3%) were found to have calvarial thickening. The rate of premature suture closure in the study population was 36.2% (21 of 58 patients), with 50.0% of affected cohort having evidence of premature suture closure on the first CT scan. Multivariate logistic regression identified 2 risk factors, requiring invasive ventilation at 6 months of age and fraction of inspired oxygen requirement at 6 months of age. Increased head circumference at birth protected against the development of calvarial thickening. CONCLUSIONS: We have described a novel subset of patients with chronic lung disease of prematurity who have calvarial thickening with remarkably high rates of premature closure of cranial sutures. The exact etiology of the association is unknown. In this patient population with radiographic evidence of premature suture closure, operative decision should be made after considering unequivocal evidence of elevated intracranial pressure or dysmorphology and balanced against the risk of the procedure.

Intracranial Pressure Patterns in Children with Sagittal Craniosynostosis.

BACKGROUND: Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in sagittal craniosynostosis has a wide spectrum of reported incidence, and patterns are not well understood across infancy and childhood. Characterizing the natural history of ICP in this population may clarify risks for neurocognitive delay and inform treatment decisions. METHODS: Infants and children with sagittal craniosynostosis and unaffected control subjects were prospectively evaluated with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) from 2014-2021. Elevated ICP was determined based on previously validated algorithms utilizing retinal OCT parameters. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients with isolated sagittal craniosynostosis, and 25 control subjects were evaluated. Overall, 31.9% (n=23) of patients with sagittal craniosynostosis had evidence of ICP ≥15 mmHg, and 27.8% (n=20) of patients had ICP ≥20 mmHg.Children with sagittal craniosynostosis younger than 6 months of age were more likely to have normal intracranial pressure (88.6% <15 mmHg, 91.4% <20 mmHg) than those between 6-12 months of age (54.5%, p=.013; 54.5%, p=.005) and than those older than 12 months of age (46.2%, p<.001; 53.8%, p=.001). Intracranial pressure was directly correlated with severity of scaphocephaly (p=.009). No unaffected control subjects at any age exhibited retinal thickening suggestive of elevated ICP. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated ICP is rare in isolated sagittal craniosynostosis below 6 months of age, but becomes significantly more common after 6 months of age, and may correlate with severity of scaphocephaly.

Visual Attention, Bias, and Social Dispositions Toward People With Facial Anomalies: A Prospective Study With Eye-Tracking Technology.

BACKGROUND: Facial attractiveness influences our perceptions of others, with beautiful faces reaping societal rewards and anomalous faces encountering penalties. The purpose of this study was to determine associations of visual attention with bias and social dispositions toward people with facial anomalies. METHODS: Sixty subjects completed tests evaluating implicit bias, explicit bias, and social dispositions before viewing publicly available images of preoperative and postoperative patients with hemifacial microsomia. Eye-tracking was used to register visual fixations. RESULTS: Participants with higher implicit bias scores fixated significantly less on the cheek and ear region preoperatively (P = 0.004). Participants with higher scores in empathic concern and perspective taking fixated more on the forehead and orbit preoperatively (P = 0.045) and nose and lips (P = 0.027) preoperativel. CONCLUSIONS: Participants with higher levels of implicit bias spent less visual attention on anomalous facial anatomy, whereas participants with higher levels of empathic concern and perspective taking spent more visual attention on normal facial anatomy. Levels of bias and social dispositions such as empathy may predict layperson gaze patterns toward those with facial anomalies and provide insights to neural mechanisms underlying the "anomalous is bad" paradigm.

A Longitudinal Study of Improvement in Nasal Airway Obstruction after Secondary Cleft Rhinoplasty.

BACKGROUND: Nasal airway obstruction is an increasingly recognized phenomenon in patients with cleft lip and/or palate and has the potential to significantly affect quality of life in this patient population. To date, the effect of secondary cleft rhinoplasty on cleft-related nasal airway obstruction has not been studied. METHODS: Patients undergoing secondary cleft rhinoplasty at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia from 2015 to 2021 were identified. Preoperative and postoperative Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scores were recorded. Alterations in scores were evaluated for variation depending on patient characteristics, operative maneuvers, and postoperative nasal stenting. RESULTS: Nasal airway obstruction was present in mild to moderate severity in patients before secondary cleft rhinoplasty. Postoperatively, obstruction improved or resolved in the domains of nasal blockage/obstruction, trouble breathing through the nose, and ability to get enough air through the nose during exertion (P < 0.05). Overall composite Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scores improved (P < 0.05). Lateral crural strut grafting was associated with improvement in nasal blockage, whereas alar revision and tip sutures were associated with worsening in specific nasal symptoms. Patients who underwent nasal stenting were found to report less trouble breathing after surgery than patients who did not (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nasal airway obstruction is present in mild to moderate severity in patients with cleft lip and/or palate, and the subjective severity of obstruction is decreased by secondary cleft rhinoplasty. Specific operative maneuvers are associated with alterations in nasal airway obstructive symptoms, and nasal stenting is associated with an improvement in trouble breathing after secondary cleft rhinoplasty. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Cleft Palate Repair in Robin Sequence following Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis Compared to Tongue-Lip Adhesion.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the timing and safety of cleft palate (CP) repair in patients with Robin sequence (RS) treated with mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) or tongue-lip adhesion (TLA) for airway obstruction. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary Pediatric Hospital during 2004-2020. PATIENTS: 148 patients with RS underwent MDO, 66 met inclusion by having MDO and followed by palatoplasty. 26 patients with RS underwent TLA, 14 met inclusion by having TLA and followed by palatoplasty. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient characteristics, hospital/operative details, postoperative complications, and polysomnographic (PSG) data were compared. RESULTS: Groups were well-matched except more patients with syndromes underwent MDO (N = 27, 41%, P ≤ .002). In the MDO and TLA cohorts, mean CP repair age was 12.8 ± 1.9 months and 14.6 ± 1.6 months, respectively (P ≤ .002). Despite the earlier CP repair in the MDO group, there were no differences in peri-operative complication rates after palatoplasty in either group. All sleep respiratory parameters improved after MDO/TLA prior to palatoplasty P ≤ .050. All PSG parameters remained significantly improved after palatoplasty compared to preoperative values, P ≤ .043. Obstructive apnea hypopnea index and Oxygen saturation nadir further improved after palatoplasty within the MDO group, P ≤ .050, while no changes in the TLA group, P ≥ .500. CONCLUSIONS: MDO was associated with earlier age at palatoplasty than TLA with a similar perioperative risk profile. In those patients with pre- and post-palatoplasty PSG data, palatoplasty was not associated with a deterioration in PSG parameters, and in fact in the MDO group, PSG data improved.

Narcotic Utilization After Cleft Lip Repair: Does Local Anesthetic Choice Matter?

To analyze whether the choice of intraoperative local anesthetic for cleft lip repair is associated with the amount of perioperative narcotic utilization.Retrospective cohort study.Hospitals participating in the Pediatric Health Information System.Primary cleft lip repairs performed in the United States from 2010 to 2020.Local anesthesia injected-treatment with lidocaine alone, bupivacaine alone, or treatment with both agents.Perioperative narcotic administration.During the study interval, 8954 patients underwent primary cleft lip repair. Narcotic utilization for unilateral (P < .001) and bilateral (P = .004) cleft lip repair has decreased over the last 5 years. Overall, 21.8% (n = 1950) of infants were administered perioperative narcotics for cleft lip repair, such that 14.3% (n = 1282) required narcotics on POD 0, and 7.2% (n = 647) required narcotics on POD 1.In this study, 36.5% (n = 3269) patients received lidocaine, 22.0% (n = 1966) patients received bupivacaine, and 19.7% (n = 1762) patients received both local anesthetics. Administration of any perioperative narcotic was significantly lower in patients receiving both lidocaine and bupivacaine than those receiving only lidocaine (P = .001, 17.5% vs 21.7%) or only bupivacaine (P < .001, 17.5% vs 22.9%). Narcotic utilization on the day of surgery was significantly lower in patients receiving both lidocaine and bupivacaine than those receiving only lidocaine (P < .001, 11.5% vs 15.1%) or only bupivacaine (P = .004, 11.5% vs 14.6%). Narcotic utilization on the first postoperative day was significantly lower in patients receiving both lidocaine and bupivacaine than those receiving only bupivacaine (P = .009, 5.9% vs 8.1%). CONCLUSIONS: In children undergoing cleft lip repair, local anesthetic combination of lidocaine and bupivacaine is associated with decreased perioperative narcotic use compared to lidocaine or bupivacaine alone.

Multimodal Treatment of Robin Sequence Utilizing Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.

Mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may each have a role in effectively treating tongue-based airway obstruction (TBAO) in Robin sequence (RS). This study describes longitudinal outcomes after treatment of TBAO with CPAP and/or MDO.Retrospective cohort study.Tertiary Pediatric Hospital.A total of 129 patients with RS treated with CPAP and/or MDO from 2009 to 2019 were reviewed. Subjects receiving baseline and at least one follow-up polysomnogram were included. 55 who underwent MDO ± CPAP and 9 who received CPAP-only treatment were included.Patient characteristics, feeding, and polysomnographic data were compared and generalized linear mixed modeling performed.Baseline obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) was greater in the MDO-treated group (median x˜ = 33.7 [interquartile range: 26.5-54.5] than the CPAP-treated group (x˜ = 20.3[13.3-36.7], P ≤ .033). There was significant reduction in OAHI following treatment with CPAP and MDO modalities, P ≤ .001. SpO2 nadir after MDO was lower in syndromic (x˜ = 85.0[81.0-87.9] compared to nonsyndromic patients (x˜ = 88.4[86.8-90.5], P ≤ .005.) CPAP was utilized following MDO in 2/24 (8.3%) of nonsyndromic and 16/31 (51.6%) of syndromic subjects (P ≤ .001,) for a median duration of 414 days. Three patients (5%) underwent tracheostomy, all had MDO. Nasogastric tube feeding at hospital discharge was more common following MDO (44, 80%) than CPAP-only (4, 44.4%, P ≤ .036), but did not differ at 6-month follow-up (P ≥ .376).CPAP appears to effectively reduce obstructive apnea in patients with RS and moderate TBAO and be a useful adjunct in syndromic patients following MDO with improved but persistent obstruction.

Speech Outcomes following Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis for Robin Sequence: Midchildhood Results.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare midchildhood speech outcomes in patients with nonsyndromic Robin sequence with cleft palate (RSCP) treated with mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) to patients with nonsyndromic Veau class I and Veau class II cleft palate (CP). METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective review of patients with nonsyndromic Robin sequence from 2000 to 2017, comparing those who underwent MDO to patients with nonsyndromic CP. Demographics, operative details, length of hospital stay, complications, and Pittsburgh Weighted Speech Scale scores were collected. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients met inclusion criteria in the MDO group with 127 patients as controls. Despite similar median age (RSCP, 4.5 years; CP only, 4.6 years) and Veau cleft type at early evaluation, there was a significant increase in composite Pittsburgh Weighted Speech Scale score within the MDO cohort ( P ≤ 0.002); specifically, with worse visible nasal emission ( P ≤ 0.007), hypernasality ( P ≤ 0.001), and compensatory articulation ( P ≤ 0.015). However, these differences were not present at age-matched midchildhood evaluation (median, RSCP, 6.5; CP only, 7.1; P ≥ 0.092). Median age-matched follow-up was 6.4 years in the MDO group and 7.1 years in the control group ( P ≥ 0.136). There was also no difference in the rate of secondary speech surgery at midchildhood evaluation ( P ≥ 0.688). CONCLUSIONS: The authors' retrospective comparison of speech outcomes in RSCP versus CP only demonstrates no difference in midchildhood speech, conflicting with recent reports. Although patients with Robin sequence treated with MDO had worse visible nasal emission, hypernasality, and compensatory articulation in early childhood, this appears to have resolved in the interim without additional intervention. Longitudinal follow-up is needed to fully understand the speech ramifications of RSCP. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Risk, II.

Socioeconomic Disparities in Cleft Lip Care.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to utilize a multicenter dataset to elucidate whether socioeconomic factors were associated with access to cleft lip surgery, treatment by higher-volume providers, and family choice for higher-volume centers. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Hospitals participating in the Pediatric Health Information System. PATIENTS: Primary cleft lip repair performed in the United States between 2010 and 2020. OUTCOMES: Travel distance, hospital volume, hospital choice. RESULTS: During the study interval, 8954 patients underwent unilateral (78.4%, n = 7021) or bilateral (21.6%, n = 1933) primary cleft lip repair. Patients with unilateral cleft lip were repaired significantly earlier if they were White (P < .001) and significantly later if they lived in an urban community (P = .043). Similarly, patients with bilateral cleft lip were repaired significantly earlier if they were White (P < .001). Patients from above-median income households (P = .011) and living in urban communities (P < .001) were significantly more likely to be treated at high-volume hospitals, whereas those living in underserved communities (P < .001) were significantly less likely to be treated at high-volume hospitals. White patients were significantly more likely to be treated by high-volume surgeons (P < .001). Patients with White race were significantly more likely to choose a higher-volume hospital than the one most locally available (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with White race are more likely to travel farther and be treated by high-volume surgeons although at smaller hospitals. Patients from underserved areas travel significantly farther for cleft care and are treated at lower-volume hospitals. Patients in urban communities have shorter travel distances and are treated at higher-volume hospitals.

Cleft Rhinoplasty: Does Timing and Utilization of Cartilage Grafts Affect Perioperative Outcomes?

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology and perioperative complications of different reconstructive strategies to correct cleft nasal deformity, with particular attention paid to type and timing of cartilage grafting. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study was conducted of cleft rhinoplasty performed between 2012 and 2017 in North America utilizing the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program- Pediatric hospital network. Medical/surgical complications, reoperations, and readmissions within 30 days postoperatively were analyzed with appropriate statistics. RESULTS: During the study interval, 3317 pediatric patients underwent cleft rhinoplasty, with 8.0% involving the use of cartilage grafts. Ear cartilage was significantly more commonly used for intermediate repair, whereas rib cartilage was more commonly used for late repair (P=0.006). Overall, rhinoplasties with ear cartilage grafts had shorter procedure durations than those without cartilage grafts (P=0.005), whereas those with rib cartilage grafts had increased procedure duration (P<0.001). The use of cartilage grafts was not associated with increased complications in either intermediate or late cleft rhinoplasty. Patients with bilateral clefts were more likely to undergo rhinoplasty with cartilage grafts overall (P=0.047) and with cartilage grafts for late reconstruction (P=0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Ear cartilage is most frequently utilized for intermediate repair, whereas rib cartilage is most frequently utilized for late repair during cleft rhinoplasty. Ear cartilage grafts are associated with significantly decreased procedure duration, whereas rib cartilage grafts are associated with significantly increased procedure duration. Not surprisingly, cleft rhinoplasty is relatively safe, with a 2% overall short-term complication rate.

Facial Scars: Do Position and Orientation Matter?

BACKGROUND: This study tested the core tenets of how facial scars are perceived by characterizing layperson response to faces with scars. The authors predicted that scars closer to highly viewed structures of the face (i.e., upper lip and lower lid), scars aligned against resting facial tension lines, and scars in the middle of anatomical subunits of the face would be rated less favorably. METHODS: Volunteers aged 18 years and older from the United States were recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk to complete a face rating survey. Scars were digitally added in different locations and orientations for a total of 14 unique scars added to each face. Each participant rated 50 different faces on confidence, friendliness, and attractiveness. Data were analyzed using linear mixed effects models. RESULTS: A total of 88,850 ratings [82,990 scarred (93.4 percent)] for attractiveness, friendliness, and confidence were analyzed. In univariate linear mixed effects models, the presence of a facial scar did not significantly impact attractiveness (ß = 0.016, SE = 0.014, z = 1.089, p = 0.276). A second set of linear mixed effects models identified interactions between location, subunit placement, and orientation to facial tension lines. Scars located on the lower lid mid subunit perpendicular to facial tension lines were rated less attractive (ß = -0.065, SE = 0.028, z = -2.293, p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: On average, a single well-healed facial scar does not negatively affect first impressions of attractiveness, confidence, or friendliness. Specific scar location and orientation combinations, however, such as a perpendicular scar at the mid-lower eyelid, may result in lower perceived attractiveness, confidence, and friendliness. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Risk, III.

How Low Should We Go? Safety and Craniometric Impact of the Low Occipital Osteotomy in Posterior Vault Remodeling.

BACKGROUND: A larger volume cranial vault expansion is likely facilitated by a low posterior cranial osteotomy beneath the torcula; however, this may impart an increased risk of venous bleeding. The authors compared the safety of infratorcular versus supratorcular osteotomy in patients undergoing posterior vault reconstruction or posterior vault distraction osteogenesis and analyzed volumetric changes. METHODS: Patients undergoing initial posterior vault reconstruction or distraction osteogenesis between 2009 and 2021 at the authors' institution were grouped by occipital osteotomy location and analyzed retrospectively. Craniometric analysis was performed if patients had high-resolution computed tomography scans available within 180 days preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: A total of 187 patients were included: 106 (57 percent) who underwent posterior vault distraction osteogenesis and 81 (43 percent) who underwent posterior vault reconstruction. Infratorcular osteotomy was more common in reconstruction [ n = 65 (80 percent)] than in distraction osteogenesis [ n = 61 (58 percent); p < 0.002]. Blood transfused was similar between low and high osteotomy cohorts in the distraction osteogenesis ( p = 0.285) and reconstruction ( p = 0.342) groups. However, median transfused blood volume per kilogram of patient weight was greater in the low versus high osteotomy distraction osteogenesis ( p = 0.010) and reconstruction ( p = 0.041) cohorts. Intraoperative venous sinus injury was rare. In the distraction osteogenesis cohort, there was increased median intracranial volumetric gain in the low (263 ml) compared with the high osteotomy cohort (127 ml; p = 0.043); however, when controlled for distraction distance, only a trend was observed ( p = 0.221). Patients undergoing distraction osteogenesis showed a larger median intracranial volume increase (168 ml) compared with those undergoing reconstruction (73 ml; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Infratorcular osteotomy can be performed safely in most patients undergoing cranial vault remodeling and does not appear to be associated with greater hemodynamic instability or sinus injury. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

Ten Years of Posterior Cranial Vault Expansion by Means of Distraction Osteogenesis: An Update and Critical Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to describe the 10-year evolution of the authors' surgical technique and institutional perioperative outcomes using posterior vault distraction osteogenesis (PVDO) in patients with syndromic and multisuture craniosynostosis. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent PVDO for treatment of syndromic and multisuture craniosynostosis at a single institution over a 10-year period. Demographic data, perioperative outcomes, distraction patterns, and complications were analyzed. Outcomes of patients in the first 5 years (early cohort) were compared with those of the latter 5 years (late cohort). RESULTS: One hundred ten patients underwent a total of 118 PVDO procedures. Patients with a syndromic diagnosis represented 83.6 percent of the cohort ( n = 92) and were significantly younger than patients with a nonsyndromic diagnosis at the time of first PVDO (median [25th percentile, 75th percentile] 14.1 [6.6, 40.1] versus 42.7 [15.2, 59.6] months; p = 0.014). Mean distraction distance in the anterior-posterior direction was 30.8 mm (SD, 7.4). Compared with the early cohort, PVDO in the late cohort had faster median operative times (144.0 [123.0, 189.0] minutes versus 161.0 [138.0, 199.0] minutes; p = 0.038), lower estimated blood loss as a percentage of blood volume (28.5 [20.6, 45.3] versus 50.0 [31.1, 95.8]; p < 0.001), and lower blood replacement as percentage of blood volume (39.5 [23.8, 59.1] versus 56.3 [37.8, 110.1]; p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: This 10-year experience with PVDO demonstrates continued overall safety and efficacy with improved perioperative outcomes over time. Although PVDO has become the authors' first line of expansion in syndromic craniosynostosis, shortcomings such as need for device removal, infection concerns, and potential for cerebrospinal fluid leak merit attention by the craniofacial community. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

Associations of Facial Proportionality, Attractiveness, and Character Traits.

BACKGROUND: Facial proportionality and symmetry are positively associated with perceived levels of facial attractiveness. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to confirm and extend the association of proportionality with perceived levels of attractiveness and character traits and determine differences in attractiveness and character ratings between "anomalous" and "typical" faces using a large dataset. METHODS: Ratings of 597 unique individuals from the Chicago Face Database were used. A formula was developed as a proxy of relative horizontal proportionality, where a proportionality score of "0" indicated perfect proportionality and more negative scores indicated less proportionality. Faces were categorized as "anomalous" or "typical" by 2 independent reviewers based on physical features. RESULTS: Across the ratings for all faces, Spearman correlations revealed greater proportionality was associated with attractiveness ( ρ = 0.292, P < 0.001) and trustworthiness ( ρ = 0.193, P < 0.001), while lesser proportionality was associated with impressions of anger (ρ = 0.132, P = 0.001), dominance (ρ = 0.259, P < 0.001), and threateningness ( ρ = 0.234, P < 0.001). Mann-Whitney U tests revealed the typical cohort had significantly higher levels of proportionality (-13.98 versus -15.14, P = 0.030) and ratings of attractiveness (3.39 versus 2.99, P < 0.001) and trustworthiness (3.48 versus 3.35, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that facial proportionality is not only significantly associated with higher ratings of attractiveness, but also associated with judgements of trustworthiness. Proportionality plays a role in evoking negative attributions of personality characteristics to people with facial anomalies.

Endoscope-Assisted Fronto-Orbital Distraction Osteogenesis.

SUMMARY: Anterior cranial vault fronto-orbital distraction osteogenesis is a promising treatment modality for children with unicoronal craniosynostosis. A minimally invasive, endoscope-assisted approach offers the additional potential benefits of less scalp scarring, decreased blood loss, and decreased scalp dissection. In this article, the authors present a novel technique for minimally invasive, endoscope-assisted fronto-orbital distraction osteogenesis.