A Cheap Hand-Made Mandibular External Fixator?

The external mandibular fixator is one of the tools that maxillofacial have to contain complex fractures, in particular in the context of ballistic traumas or comminuted fractures.The authors present a craft external fixator inspired from Joe Hall Morris fixation. This technique, particularly cheap, can be an alternative to a conventional external fixator. The authors report their advices and tricks to guide the implementation of that external fixator and avoid pitfalls. Indications of this surgical device are discussed.

Engineering Precise Interconnected Porosity in ß-Tricalcium Phosphate (ß-TCP) Matrices by Means of Top-Down Digital Light Processing.

This study evaluated the biocompatibility and accuracy of 3D-printed ß-tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP) pure ceramic scaffolds. A specific shaping process associating a digital light processing (DLP) 3D printer and a heat treatment was developed to produce pure ß-TCP scaffolds leaving no polymer binder residue. The ß-TCP was characterised using X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and the detection of pollutants. The open porosity of produced matrices and their resorption were studied by hydrostatic weighing and calcium release measures. The biocompatibility of the printed matrices was evaluated by mean of osteoblast cultures. Finally, macroporous cubic matrices were produced. They were scanned using a micro-Computed Tomography scanner (micro-CT scan) and compared to their numeric models. The results demonstrated that DLP 3D printing with heat treatment produces pure ß-TCP matrices with enhanced biocompatibility. They also demonstrated the printing accuracy of our technique, associating top-down DLP with the sintering of green parts. Thus, this production process is promising and will enable us to explore complex phosphocalcic matrices with a special focus on the development of a functional vascular network.

[French national standard for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of upper aero-digestive tract - General principles of treatment]. / Référentiel national de traitement des carcinomes épidermoïdes des voies aérodigestives supérieures ­ Principes généraux de traitement.

OBJECTIVES: The management of upper aerodigestive tract cancers is a complex specialty. It is essential to provide an update to establish optimal care. At the initiative of the INCa and under the auspices of the SFORL, the scientific committee, led by Professor Béatrix Barry, Dr. Gilles Dolivet, and Dr. Dominique De Raucourt, decided to develop a reference framework aimed at defining, in a scientific and consensus-based manner, the general principles of treatment for upper aerodigestive tract cancers applicable to all sub-locations. METHODOLOGY: To develop this framework, a multidisciplinary team of practitioners was formed. A systematic analysis of the literature was conducted to produce recommendations classified by grades, in accordance with the standards of the French National Authority for Health (HAS). RESULTS: The grading of recommendations according to HAS standards has allowed the establishment of a reference for patient care based on several criteria. In this framework, patients benefit from differentiated care based on prognostic factors they present (age, comorbidities, TNM status, HPV status, etc.), conditions of implementation, and quality criteria for indicated surgery (operability, resectability, margin quality, mutilation, salvage surgery), as well as quality criteria for radiotherapy (target volume, implementation time, etc.). The role of medical and postoperative treatments was also evaluated based on specific criteria. Finally, supportive care must be organized from the beginning and throughout the patients' care journey. CONCLUSION: All collected data have led to the development of a comprehensive framework aimed at harmonizing practices nationally, facilitating decision-making in multidisciplinary consultation meetings, promoting equality in practices, and providing a state-of-the-art and reference practices for assessing the quality of care. This new framework is intended to be updated every 5 years to best reflect the latest advances in the field.

Robotic calvarial bone sampling.

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of complex unicortical calvarial harvesting by using the Cold Ablation Robot-Guided Laser Osteotome (CARLO® primo+). A cadaveric study was performed with a progressive complexity of the bone harvesting. This preliminary study on the cadaveric cranial vault area examined the tracking precision, the strategies, settings and durations of harvesting, the accuracy of the unicortical bone cutting, and the risk of dura exposition. All sampling was realised with no more difficulty than that experienced during the standard procedure. No bicortical cutting occurred during CARLO® primo + robot-guided laser cutting. During the second sampling, dura was partially exposed due to improper angulation of the curved osteotome during harvesting. Complex unicortical calvarial harvesting using robot-guided laser appears to be feasible and safe. In the future, robotic approaches will probably replace current surgical techniques using cutting guides and help reduce intraoperative inaccuracies due to the human factor.

Surgical treatment outcomes of solitary fibrous tumors in the head and neck: A retrospective study.

The aim of this study was to better characterize head and neck solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) and to evaluate surgical treatment. This retrospective study included patients who presented with head and neck SFTs. Clinical, radiological, and histological information and data regarding the treatments performed were collected. The risk of locoregional and distant metastases was calculated, and for orbital SFTs a specific classification was used. Overall, 34 patients were included. The majority of the SFTs were found in the oral cavity (n = 10), followed by the neck region (n = 8). The mean time to recurrence was 67.4 months. All patients underwent primary surgical resection. Recurrence was observed in five patients with a low risk of locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis. The treatment of choice is complete resection. Recurrence seems to be highly correlated with positive surgical margins. The safety margin should be increased when removing the lesion, and long-term follow-up should be performed.

Complications of calvarial bone harvesting for maxillofacial reconstructions.

BACKGROUND: For almost a century, autologous bone grafts are the criterion standard for facial skeleton rehabilitations. Progressively, because of its various advantages, calvarial bone imposed as one of the most adapted for craniomaxillofacial reconstructions. Also, calvarial harvesting remains a controversial technique because of its potential complications described in the literature. The aim of this study was to report the precocious and late complications encountered in our practice and to compare them with the previous data of the literature. METHODS: We decided to realize a retrospective study over 10 years and 511 cases of calvarial bone harvesting performed in our maxillofacial department. RESULTS: Our results are very clear, reporting some annoying consequences and long-term aesthetic reattempts, but any serious complication. DISCUSSION: According to our experience and previous data of the literature, we described some technical refinements that could improve our technique and reduce its potentials complications. Nevertheless, we think that nowadays calvarial harvesting is the criterion standard for maxillofacial bone grafts, and the complications described in the literature are negligible for experienced operators.

Distraction osteogenesis versus fibula free flap for mandibular reconstruction after gunshot injury: socioeconomic and technical comparisons.

BACKGROUND: Since the birth of maxillofacial surgery, ballistic injuries are a real challenge for surgeons. For more than 20 years, fibula free flap (FFF) became the criterion standard for mandibular reconstructions. But FFF is not always the perfect answer for mandibular reconstruction, and a technique named distraction osteogenesis (DO) was raised. The purposes of this study are to estimate the financial cost and reattempt for the patient each techniques in our experience to determine the best-choice criteria for mandibular reconstruction after gunshot injury. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study over the last 15 years, including 15 patients with a mandibular ballistic injury. Ten patients were treated with FFF, and 5 with DO. We evaluated the complications and morbidity encountered with each technique. We also decided to estimate the cost of different rehabilitations, including the cost of the device and hospitalization. RESULTS: In our study, the global cost of the DO protocol appears as not more expensive than the FFF one. Postoperative complications encountered during the FFF protocols were related to donor-site morbidity. The DO patient had pseudoarthrosis, mucosa irritation, or local infection. DISCUSSION: Our study demonstrated both the economic and technical interest of DO compared with the FFF for mandibular reconstruction. Thus, nowadays, DO appears as an alternative to the FFF for mandibular reconstruction, the main decisional criterion being the evaluation of the tissues dilapidated during the initial traumatism, but social environment of the patient shall also be considered.

In-house 3D printing: Why, when, and how? Overview of the national French good practice guidelines for in-house 3D-printing in maxillo-facial surgery, stomatology, and oral surgery.

3D-printing is part of the daily practice of maxillo-facial surgeons, stomatologists and oral surgeons. To date, no French health center is producing in-house medical devices according to the new European standards. Based on all the evidence-based data available, a group of experts from the French Society of Stomatology, Maxillo-Facial Surgery and Oral Surgery (Société Française de Chirurgie Maxillofaciale, Stomatologie et Chirurgie Orale, SFSCMFCO), provide good practice guidelines for in-house 3D-printing in maxillo-facial surgery, stomatology, and oral surgery. Briefly, technical considerations related to printers and CAD software, which were the main challenges in the last ten years, are now nearly trivial questions. The central current issues when planning the implementation of an in-house 3D-printing platform are economic and regulatory. Successful in-house 3D platforms rely on close collaborations between health professionals and engineers, backed by regulatory and logistic specialists. Several large-scale academic projects across France will soon provide definitive answers to governance and economical questions related to the use of in-house 3D printing.

Outcome of mandibular symphyseal distraction osteogenesis with bone-borne devices.

OBJECTIVES: Mandibular symphyseal distraction osteogenesis (DO) is an alternative to the orthodontic treatment to resolve mandibular anterior width deficiencies or dental crowding. Different types of devices (tooth-borne, bone-borne, and hybrid device) have been used until now. The aim of this clinical study was to report our results with bone-borne device and compare them with previous studies' data to improve our symphyseal distraction protocol and future results. METHODS: Fourteen patients were treated with symphyseal DO during a 10-year period. Two types of bone-borne distractors have been used. We evaluated morbidity and stability in the short- and long-term (from 12 to 24 months) follow-up, with clinical and radiological examinations. RESULTS: Appropriate symmetrical distraction of both basal and alveolar bone was obtained for all the patients, but correction of the discrepancy failed in 1 case. Mucosa irritation was the main problem. None of the patients presented with local infection. One temporomandibular joint dysfunction occurred during the distraction period, and 1 patient with preoperative temporomandibular joint dysfunction had his symptoms resolved in the long-term follow-up. In 1 case, a root exposure occurred during osteotomy, resulting in an osteogenesis delay. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the previous data of the literature and our clinical experience, mandibular symphyseal distraction is a safe alternative to orthodontic and previous surgical treatments, with low morbidity and stable long-term results. Bone-borne device is expected to assert stable results in the long term but with higher morbidity, compared with tooth-borne device. Both surgical techniques and devices have to improve, to assess the superiority of mandibular symphyseal DO to incisor-crowding treatment.

Is transfacial Kirschner wire fixation still indicated in isolated zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures? Retrospective study of 216 cases in CHRU of Lille: epidemiology, therapeutic management, and results.

INTRODUCTION: No consensus on both contention and reduction a type in zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) fractures' treatment exists. We tried to evaluate the percutaneous hook reduction method and the transfacial Kirschner wire (K-wire) fixation method in these fractures' treatment. This study also analyses epidemiological data of 4 million inhabitants (Nord-Pas-de-Calais region) in this trauma type. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All the ZMC fractures treated in our department from September 2000 to November 2006 were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were evaluated by clinical and radiologic assessment. Therapeutic data and results were analyzed. RESULTS: We reviewed 216 consecutively isolated ZMC fractures managed in our unit: 39 women and 177 men were included (sex ratio, 1:4.5). Mean age is 33.1 years. Assault is the main etiology before motor vehicle crashes. The average treatment delay is 3.5 days, and the mean delay before surgery is 10.3 days. All of the patients who had surgery underwent percutaneous hook reduction, and 77.3% of reduced fractures needed a contention realized at least by interosseous K-wire fixation in 94.6% of the cases. Reduction results were not satisfying in 5.6% of the patients who had surgery. DISCUSSION: This study aimed to evaluate a method of ZMC fractures treatment and to eventually modify some aspects. We proposed a guideline allowing a main importance to clinical examination and to interosseous transfacial K-wire fixation associated with an open reduction with frontozygomatic and/or infraorbital rim osteosynthesis if mandatory.

Access to paediatric palliative care in children and adolescents with complex chronic conditions: a retrospective hospital-based study in Brussels, Belgium.

BACKGROUND: Paediatric complex chronic conditions (CCCs) are life-limiting conditions requiring paediatric palliative care, which, in Belgium, is provided through paediatric liaison teams (PLTs). Like the number of children and adolescents with these conditions in Belgium, their referral to PLTs is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to identify, over a 5-year period (2010-2014), the number of children and adolescents (0-19 years) living with a CCC, and also their referral to PLTs. METHODS: International Classification of Disease codes (ICD-9) corresponding to a CCC, as described by Feudtner et al, and national registration numbers were extracted from the databases of all hospitals (n=8) and PLTs (n=2) based in the Brussels region. Aggregated data and pseudonymised national registration number were transmitted to the research team by a Trusted Third Party (eHealth). Ages and diagnostic categories were calculated using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Over 5 years (2010-2014) in the Brussels region, a total of 22 721 children/adolescents aged 0-19 years were diagnosed with a CCC. Of this number, 22 533 were identified through hospital registries and 572 through PLT registries. By comparing the registries, we found that of the 22 533 children/adolescents admitted to hospital, only 384 (1.7%) were also referred to a PLT. CONCLUSION: In Belgium, there may be too few referrals of children and adolescents with CCC to PLTs that ensure continuity of care.

Symphyseal distraction in the context of orthodontic treatment: a series of 35 cases.

INTRODUCTION: Use of symphyseal distraction osteogenesis to treat a mandibular bone deficit with tooth-jaw discrepancy due to lack of space makes it possible to avoid the risks associated with the techniques usually envisaged (stripping, labioversion of incisors, extractions). PATIENTS AND METHOD: This retrospective study presents the symphyseal distraction technique used in the maxillofacial surgery department of Lille University Hospital between January 1998 and March 2013. Treatment efficacy, complications and the stability of results were all evaluated. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were included in the study. The gain of inter-mental-foramen space was on average 7 mm (3-12, standard deviation 1.8 mm). A good occlusal result with dental Class I and no labioversion of the lower incisors was obtained in 27 of the 35 patients (77%). CONCLUSION: Mandibular distraction by symphyseal osteotomy seems to be a quick, safe treatment for an anterior transversal mandibular deficit giving results that are stable over time. Its success depends on good collaboration between the orthodontist and the surgeon, and on strict patient selection.

[Comparative effectiveness of maxillomandibular advancement surgery versus mandibular advancement device for patients with moderate or severe obstructive sleep area]. / Ostéotomie d'avancée maxillo-mandibulaire ou orthèse d'avancée mandibulaire dans le traitement des syndromes d'apnées obstructives du sommeil modérés à sévères : comparaison d'efficacité et recherche de critères prédictifs d'efficacité

INTRODUCTION: Currently, positive airway pressure is the gold standard treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Unfortunely, adherence rates are poor. Alternative therapies are mandibular advancement device (MAD) and maxillomandibular advancement (MMA). PATIENTS: This retrospective study compared both treatment effectiveness on patients with moderate and severe OSA from January 2005 to September 2012, and carried out predictive factor of effectiveness. We defined therapeutic success as an apnea hypopnea index (AHI) less than 15 per hour and at least a 50% reduction of the initial index. The difference in effectiveness has been studied using regression logistic adjusted on MAD versus MMA propensity score. RESULTS: This study included 198 patients. 37 were treated by MMA, and 161 with MAD. MMA treatment was significantly more efficient than MAD treatment with an odds ratio of 3.22; CI95% 1.31Γ7.82 (p = 0.011). Younger age and lower initial AHI were predictive of increased success. There was no significant interaction between the treatment and morphologic patient factors. CONCLUSION: In our sample of patients, MMA surgery was significantly more efficient than MAD treatment for the patients with moderate or severe OSA. No morphologic characteristic was identified to determine which patients would benefit most from MAD versus MMA surgery.

[Condylar hyperplasia: qualitative and quantitative study of temporomandibular joints remodeling before and after condylectomy]. / L'hypercondylie : étude qualitative et quantitative du remodelage des articulations temporo-mandibulaires avant et après condylectomie.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate bone remodeling of temporo-mandibular joints (TMJ) using computed tomography (CT) before and after condylectomy for condylar hyperplasia. MATERIAL AND METHOD: TMJ bone remodeling was studied by comparing the pre and postoperative CT scan of ten patients. Qualitative evaluation was performed by two-dimensional analysis. Three-dimensional analysis superimpositions were done after digital condylar units isolation. Condylar volume modifications were measured and compared on both sides. Lastly, before and after surgery, we studied the radio-clinic correlations. RESULTS: After surgery, all the operated condyles developed a new cortical bone. We noticed also a thickening of the glenoid fossa. Surgical condylectomy leaded to a 43.5% volume reduction on the operated side and 2.14% on the controlateral side. On the controlateral side, most of abnormalities seen preoperatively disappeared after surgery. For two patients, the condylar resection took away over 80% of the initial volume. For these patients, we observed major radiologic modifications on the controlateral TMJ associated with symptoms of dysfunction. These problems did not worsen their quality of life. CONCLUSION: Both TMJ presented with bone remodelling after condylectomy. In condylar hyperplasia, condylectomy provides orthopaedic results on dysmorphia and removal of the pathological prechondroblastic zone. In the future, an earlier detection of this pathology may help the surgeon to treat in childhood. This would limit surgical excision and would avoid important dysmorphia.