The Journal of craniofacial surgery
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Various materials have been proposed for cranial reconstruction. Bone autograft and alloplasts such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and hydroxyapatite (HA) cement are most commonly used at the present time. Patients submitted for cranioplasty were evaluated. ⋯ Even though HA cement is an osteoconductive material, it seems to induce what appears to be an immunoguided delayed inflammatory reaction that leads to thinning of the skin and exposure of the material, making secondary repair difficult. Before deciding which reconstructive option to use, a careful evaluation of the patient in terms of diagnosis, number of previous surgeries, and surgical site should be undertaken. If this is adopted, good results and a satisfactory outcome can be achieved on long-term follow-up.
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A retrospective study on facial fractures was carried out in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Tawam Hospital (Al Ain, United Arab Emirates) between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2001. The study included 144 patients with a mean age of 26.5 years; the most frequently injured patients belonged to the 16- to 20-year-old age group. The male predilection was 83%. ⋯ Associated injuries were noted in 22.2% of the patients. The number of patients treated increased from 28.3 (1990-1995) to 36 (1998-2001) on an annual average; a reduction in isolated nasal fractures and associated injuries, including facial lacerations, was noted with no change in age or etiology predilection. Sufficient data could not be obtained to determine if the favorable results with the associated injuries were a result of the effect of a compulsory seat belt law introduced on June 1, 1998, but the increasing number of maxillofacial injuries suggests that the seat belt law is ignored in this country.
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This article reports a three-dimensional (3D) digital color scanning system used in the measurement of facial soft tissue expansion. This system consists of digital scanning equipment, software for stereolithographical (STL) forms and nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) surfaces, and a computer-aided design program. Accurate data for the area of scar excision and the expanded cervicofacial flap were obtained by using this measuring system in a young patient with scar contracture of the face. This technique can accurately model the reconstruction and make plastic surgery planning a truly interactive procedure.
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Case Reports
Craniofacial reconstruction with computer-generated HTR patient-matched implants: use in primary bony tumor excision.
The aim of this clinical series is to report the effectiveness and safety of using computer-generated alloplastic hard tissue replacement (HTR) implants for the reconstruction of large defects of the cranio-orbital region when combined with simultaneous bone tumor excision. Seven patients who had large nonmalignant bony lesions of the anterior cranial vault and orbit underwent simultaneous bony excision and reconstruction with preoperatively fabricated custom alloplastic implants. Preoperatively, a 3D computed tomography (CT) scan was obtained from which an anatomical model was fabricated. ⋯ In all cases, excellent contours have been maintained and all patients have remained infection-free. In the management of large benign bony tumors of the cranio-orbital region, simultaneous reconstruction with custom implants fabricated from porous, hydrophilic HTR polymer can be preoperatively fabricated based on an estimate of the subsequent bony defect. The successful use of this approach depends on a favorable tissue quality of the recipient site, a generous preoperative estimate of the amount of bone that will be resected so that the implant is adequate, intraoperative techniques of expanding the implant reconstruction, and intraoperative methods to assure a partitioning of the implant from the frontal sinus.
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Case Reports
Complete osseous regeneration of a large skull defect in a patient with cutis aplasia: a conservative approach.
Cutis aplasia (or aplasia cutis congenita) is a congenital absence of all skin layers, often extending through bone. This defect usually occurs in the scalp and can be extensive, exposing the dura mater, and deeper meninges. Treatment regimens for cutis aplasia have included early operative intervention, including skin and bone grafts, local scalp flaps, or free flaps to close the defect. ⋯ The intensive therapeutic intervention in this case report allowed early discharge from the hospital, a gradual amelioration of the patient's alopecia as the hair-bearing scalp slowly covered the defect, and precluded the need for any subsequent bony reconstruction of the cranial vault. We hypothesize that conservative treatment of cutis aplasia maintains dural induction of osseous regeneration, and any treatment plan for bony defects of cutis aplasia should consider maintenance of dural integrity. Although further investigation is warranted, an initial trial of antimicrobial dressing care might optimally promote secondary closure of the cranial vault without the need for surgical intervention.