Annals of plastic surgery
-
Annals of plastic surgery · Oct 2009
Comparative StudyThe sensate medial dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap for closure of cervicothoracic midline defects after spinal surgery: an anatomic study and case reports.
Complex cervicothoracic midline defects after spinal surgery are traditionally treated with the use of muscle and myocutaneous flaps. The authors introduce the sensate medial dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap as an alternative treatment for these defects. ⋯ It can provide enough volume to obliterate dead space. Inclusion of the cutaneous nerve gives protective sensibility to the reconstructed area.
-
Annals of plastic surgery · Oct 2009
Comparative StudyTextured and smooth breast implants: is there a difference in the chemical structure of silicone?: an analysis with fourier transformation infrared and attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy.
Scientific controversy concerning silicone and its biocompatibility has been ongoing for the last 10 years. This study on textured and smooth silicone breast implant shells using fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy associated with attenuated total reflectance cells aimed to identify eventual chemical modifications of silicone induced by texturization. The surfaces of 8 new implants produced by 2 well-known manufactures have been taken into consideration. ⋯ Infrared spectra were then recorded, evaluated, and compared with the reference spectrum of pure silicone. Potentially reactive groups, known as silanols, were identified, in all shells, intensity increasing in textured implants (P < 0.05), whereas no silanols were detected in the spectrum of pure silicone. These results suggest that polar groups, present in manipulated silicone might influence capsula formation.