Flabby ridge correction using an auxiliary technique with connective tissue graft

A common finding in patients with edentulous maxilla and partially dentate mandible is mainly the presence of flabbiness in the anterior edentulous alveolar ridge that can compromise the retention and stability of a denture. Thus, this case report presents the correction of a flabby ridge, using an auxiliary technique combining surgical excision and autogenous connective tissue grafting. The technique improved the quality of the osteomucosal support of the alveolar ridge and increased the vestibule deepness, whose result increased the success rate of the new conventional total prosthesis.     

Blockade of CXCR1/2 chemokine receptors protects against brain damage in ischemic stroke in mice: Ischemia and Reparixin

OBJECTIVE:

Ischemic stroke may result from transient or permanent reductions of regional cerebral blood flow. Polymorphonuclear neutrophils have been described as the earliest inflammatory cells to arrive in ischemic tissue. CXCR1/2 receptors are involved in the recruitment of these cells. However, the contribution of these chemokine receptors during transient brain ischemia in mice remains poorly understood. In this work, we investigated the effects of reparixin, an allosteric antagonist of CXCR1/2 receptors, in a model of middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion in mice.

METHODS:

C57BL/6J male mice treated with reparixin or vehicle were subjected to a middle cerebral artery occlusion procedure 1 h after the treatment. Ninety minutes after ischemia induction, the monofilament that prevented blood flow was removed. Twenty-four hours after the reperfusion procedure, behavioral changes, including motor signs, were analyzed with the SmithKline/Harwell/Imperial College/Royal Hospital/Phenotype Assessment (SHIRPA) battery. The animals were sacrificed, and brain tissue was removed for histological and biochemical analyses. Histological sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, neutrophil infiltration was estimated by myeloperoxidase activity and the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β was measured by ELISA.

RESULTS:

Pre-treatment with reparixin reduced the motor deficits observed in this model of ischemia and reperfusion. Myeloperoxidase activity and IL-1β were reduced in the reparixin-treated group. Histological analysis revealed that ischemic injury was also attenuated by reparixin pre-treatment.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results suggest that the blockade of the CXCR1/2 receptors by reparixin promotes neuroprotective effects by reducing the levels of polymorphonuclear infiltration in the brain and the tissue damage associated with middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion.     

Oral glucose for pain relief during examination for retinopathy of prematurity: a masked randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVE:

Ophthalmologic examination for retinopathy of prematurity is a painful procedure. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions have been proposed to reduce pain during eye examinations. This study aims to evaluate the analgesic effect of 25% glucose using a validated pain scale during the first eye examination for retinopathy of prematurity in preterm infants with birth weight ≤1,500 g and/or gestational age ≤32 weeks.

METHODS:

A masked, randomized clinical trial for one dose of 1 ml of oral 25% glucose solution 2 minutes before the first ophthalmologic examination for retinopathy of prematurity was conducted between March 2008 and April 2010. The results were compared to those of a control group that did not receive oral glucose solution. Pain was evaluated using a Neonatal Infant Pain Scale immediately before and immediately after the ophthalmologic examination in both groups. Clinicaltrials.gov: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00648687","term_id":"NCT00648687"}}NCT00648687

RESULTS:

One hundred and twenty-four patients who were examined for the first time for retinopathy of prematurity were included. Seventy were included in the intervention group and 54 in the control group. The number of patients with pain immediately before the procedure was similar in both groups. The number of patients with pain after ophthalmologic examination was 15.7% in the intervention group and 68.5% in the control group (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:

One ml of oral 25% glucose solution given 2 minutes before an ophthalmologic examination for retinopathy of prematurity was an effective measure for pain relief.     

Microsurgical reconstruction of maxillectomy defects: experience of 24 cases

Introduction

The defect complexity and reconstructive options make the maxillary reconstruction a controversial theme and in a constant debate. The maxilla is a fundamental aesthetic and functional structure of the face. Microsurgical vascularized flaps replaced the usage of prosthetic material and pedicled flaps as a “gold standard” for the reconstruction of complex defects following maxillectomy.

Methods

The authors report their experience of 24 maxillectomies with immediate microsurgical reconstruction, performed by the senior author (H.C.) between 1998 and 2011. They evaluate and classify the defects and the reconstructive options according to the classification system as proposed by Cordeiro and Santamaria in 2000, by a patient questionnaire and post-operative surgeon follow-up for the functional (diet, speech, and vision) and aesthetic end results.

Results

There were no flap failures. The main etiology was squamous cell carcinoma and the most used flap was rectus abdominis free flap. Classes I and II were responsible for the cases in which the reconstructive algorithm was not followed. Most patients responded as having a normal diet, a nearly normal speech and unaffected vision. In a score of 1 to 5, the mean score in esthetic given by the patient was 3.62, while the mean score given by the surgeons was 4.13.

Conclusions

Microsurgical reconstruction of maxillectomy defects with free flaps is the best reconstructive option, being the osteomyocutaneous flaps as the gold standard. Although with limited rehabilitation, good functional and aesthetic results are to be expected with myocutaneous flaps. The existence of an algorithm facilitates the classification and systematization of maxillary reconstruction. However, due to defect complexity and large number of reconstructive options, a perfect solution does not exist. The individual assessment of the patient and the defect always provides the best method for the reconstructive planning, mainly when choosing free flaps. Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study.     

The assessment of limb apraxia: Relationship between performances on single- and multiple-object tasks by left hemisphere damaged aphasic subjects

Two types of object manipulation tests, commonly advocated for the assessment of limb apraxia, were administered to 30 left hemisphere damaged aphasic (LHD) adults and 10 non-neurologically impaired control subjects. The tests were a multiple-object (MOT), requiring the manipulation of several related objects (e.g., lighting a candle when given a candle, a handle holder, and a match), and a single-object test (SOT) (e.g., lighting a match). Each of the subject's responses was assigned to one of six response categories: Standard (in which the response met all criteria for a faultless response) and five Nonstandard categories (Clumsy, Mislocation, Object Misuse, Perplexity, Omission). The results on comparing performances on the two tests showed that the SOT was “harder” than the MOT. Also, analyses of the relationship between MOT and SOT performances for the LHD subjects resulted in strong correlations between tests, loadings on the same two factors, and no evidence of double dissociations between the two tests for individual subjects. The two factors were interpreted to be a “conceptual/semantic” and a “motor execution” factor. The strong relationship and absence of double dissociations between response categories across the SOT and MOT suggest that both tasks are mediated by the same two neuropsychological processes. Clinical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Characteristics of implant-CAD/CAM abutment connections of two different internal connection systems

Titanium or zirconium computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing abutments are now widely used for aesthetic implant treatments; however, information regarding microscopic structural differences that may influence the biological and mechanical outcomes of different implant systems is limited. Therefore, the characteristics of different connection systems were investigated. Optical microscopic observation and scanning electron microscopy showed different characteristics of two internal systems, namely the Astra Tech and the Replace Select system, and for different materials. The scanning electron microscopic observation showed for the Astra Tech that the implant-abutment interface seemed to be completely sealed for both titanium and zirconium abutments, both horizontally and sagittally; however, the first implant-abutment contact was below the fixture top, creating a microgap, and fixtures connected with titanium abutments showed significantly larger values (23·56μm±5·44 in width, and 168·78μm±30·39 in depth, P<0·001). For Replace Select, scanning electron microscopy in the sagittal direction showed that the sealing of titanium and zirconium abutments differed. The seal between the implant-titanium and implant-zirconium abutments seemed to be complete at the butt-joint interface; however, the displacement of the abutment in relation to the fixture in the lateral direction was evident for both abutments with no statistical differences (P>0·70), creating an inverted microgap. Thus, microscopy evaluation of two commonly used internal systems connected to titanium or zirconium abutments showed that the implant-abutment interface was perfectly sealed under no-loading conditions. However, an inverted microgap was seen in both systems, which may result in bacterial accumulation as well as alteration of stress distribution at the implant-abutment interface.     

Application of forensic anthropology to non-forensic issues: an experimental taphonomic approach to the study of human body decomposition in aerobic conditions

The knowledge of the decomposition process takes a progressively central role in cemetery management. In Europe there is an increase in constructing concrete modules that allow aerobic decomposition, which, theoretically, have advantages. By allowing the circulation of oxygen they will lead to a rapid decomposition, and, consequently, permit burial space rotation. This method also allows the burial of several corpses in small areas. In addition, it solves environmental issues. However, the ways in which the decomposition occurs under these conditions and the time required for skeletonization are still unknown. The aim of this study is to analyse the changes of the cadavers buried in aerobic module systems, realize the time necessary for skeletonization, and study solutions that might enable a faster decomposition. This experimental study utilized three aerobic module systems already used in Portuguese cemeteries and a prototype, with four pig carcasses as animal models. The evolution of the decomposition process was assessed weekly, over 147 days (2184 ADD). This study showed differences in the decomposition process between the four systems. The results allowed us to select the necessary characteristics for the construction of aerobic modules enabling faster decomposition.