Treatment of horizontal root‐fractured maxillary incisors – a case report

Abstract – Traumatic dental injuries often occur to the teeth and their supporting tissues and they are the main reasons for emergency visit to a dental clinic. Management of a fracture depends on its position and the extent of root involvement. Horizontal root fractures are not seen frequently and the treatment consists of reduction and long‐term rigid fixation of the coronal segment. The present case demonstrates the successful management of two horizontally fractured maxillary central incisors with a follow‐up period of 9 months.     

Subakute Verlegung der Atemwege infolge eines retropharyngealen H?matoms nach Halstrauma

Mechanical airway obstruction secondary to retropharyngeal bleeding is rare. In most cases such a complication is described after head and neck trauma. Complicating factors include anticoagulant therapy, tumour, aneurysm, infection or major cervical spine injury. A precise initial diagnosis is necessary to avoid a life-threatening situation. Lateral X-ray and computed tomography is essential for safe management. Treatment depends upon size of the haematoma as well as the clinical course of the patient. Smaller haematomas may be observed. Lager haematomas and those that fail to reabsorb should undergo drainage.      

Causation, therapy and complications of treating mandibular fractures - a retrospective analysis of 10 years]

BACKGROUND: Fractures of the mandible are a common form of facial injury. The aetiological factors associated with mandibular fractures and the trends in these factors over a 10-year period are reported. METHODS: A retrospective survey was carried out of 724 patients presenting with a fracture of the mandible over the 10-year-period 1994-2003. Patients; records were reviewed and analyzed according to age, sex, cause of injury, anatomic site of fracture, treatment and postoperative complications. RESULTS: Over the 10-year-period the rate of mandibular fractures remained constant (mean 40,7%). There were no changes in the age group (mean 33,3 years) or in the higher prevalence in male (male-female-ratio 2,3 : 1). The major causes of fractures were assaults (38,6%) and accidental fall (27,3%). The most common fracture site was the condylar region (47,0%) followed by the angle (29,4%). Most fractures were treated by closed reduction until 2002, thereafter surgical treatment increased noticeable. The complication rate was 8,9% and the most common complications were hardware exposure and infection. CONCLUSION: Fractures of the mandible are a prevalent form of facial injury. Aetiological factors show no significant change over the 10-year-period. Complication-rate is low and will support the tendency towards surgical treatment.     

Analysis of the interbeat interval increment to detect obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea.

The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) is underestimated and its diagnosis is costly and restricted to specialised sleep laboratories. The frequency component of interbeat interval increment (III) has been proposed as a simple and inexpensive diagnostic tool in OSAHS. In a set of 150 patients with clinically suspected sleep-related breathing disorder, the actual predictive accuracy of the power spectral density of the III of the very low frequencies (%VLFI) was analysed by comparing with the apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI), as assessed by synchronised polysomnography. OSAHS was defined in 100 patients according to an AHI>or=15 events.h(-1). Receiver operator characteristic curves built for %VLFI confirmed that this variable was able to separate OSAHS positive from OSAHS negative with statistical significance. Using an appropriate threshold (>4%), %VLFI demonstrated a positive predictive value of 80%. Misclassification of false-positive subjects occurred when the patient presented significant sleep discontinuity and sleep fragmentation (sleep fragmentation index>or=50 events.h(-1)) related to insomnia or periodic limb movements. A power spectral density of the interbeat interval increment of very low frequencies>4% allowed correct classification of obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome when the clinical history suggested sleep-related breathing disorders and when moderate-to-severe cases are considered. Higher power spectral density of the interbeat interval increment of very low frequencies may also indicate disrupted sleep in the absence of clear clinical symptoms of sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome.     

Hybrid procedures as a combined endovascular and open approach for pararenal and thoracoabdominal aortic pathologies

OBJECTIVES: to report our experience with hybrid vascular procedures in patients with pararenal and thoracoabdominal aortic pathologies. METHODS: 68 patients were treated for thoracoabdominal aortic pathologies between October 1999 and February 2004; 19 patients (16 men; mean age 68, range 40-79) with high risk for open thoracoabdominal repair were considered to be candidates for combined endovascular and open repair. Aortic pathologies included five thoracoabdominal Crawford I aneurysms, one postdissection expanding aneurysm, three symptomatic plaque ruptures (Crawford IV), five combined thoracic descending and infrarenal aneurysms with a healthy visceral segment, three juxtarenal or para-anastomotic aneurysms, and two patients with simultaneous open aortic arch replacement and a rendezvous maneuver for thoracic endografting. Commercially available endografts were implanted with standardized endovascular techniques after revascularization of visceral and renal arteries. RESULTS: Technical success was 95%. One patient developed a proximal type I endoleak after chronic expanding type B dissection and currently is waiting conversion. Nine patients underwent elective, five emergency and five urgent (within 24 h) repair. 17 operations were performed simultaneously, and 2 as a staged procedure. Postoperative complications include two retroperitoneal hemorrhages, and one patient required long-term ventilation with preexisting subglottic tracheal stenosis. Thirty-day mortality was 17% (one multiple organ failure, one secondary rupture after open aortic arch repair, one myocardial infarction). Paraplegia or acute renal failure were not observed. Total survival rate was to 83% with a mean follow-up of 30 months. CONCLUSIONS: Midterm results of combined endovascular and open procedures in the thoracoabdominal aorta are encouraging in selected high risk patients. Staged interventions may reduce morbidity.     

Enamel loss associated with orthodontic adhesive removal on teeth with white spot lesions: an in vitro study.

Teeth with white spot lesions (WSL) might be more prone to enamel loss during bracket debonding. This in vitro study compared enamel loss from teeth with (n = 14) and without (n = 14) WSL after polishing with low-speed finishing burs or disks (Sof-Lex, 3M ESPE, St Paul, Minn). Debonded surfaces were analyzed with a contact stylus profilometer, and digitized data were compared with baseline readings by using AnSur NT software (Regents, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn). Specimen surfaces were also examined with a scanning electron microscope. Two-way analysis of variance was performed to analyze the data. In teeth without WSL, the volume losses were 0.16 mm(3) for the bur group and 0.10 mm(3) for the disk group; the mean maximum depths were 47.7 microm for the bur group and 54.3 microm for the disk group. In teeth with WSL, the volume losses were 0.06 and 0.17 mm(3), and the mean maximum depths were 35.1 and 48.7 microm for the bur and disk groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in enamel loss between the 2 groups of teeth without WSL (P =.12). However, in teeth with WSL, the burs removed less enamel than the disks (P = 0.006). Scanning electron microscope examination showed that any damage on the enamel surface was usually located in the cervical third of the teeth. On most specimens, even though tooth surfaces appeared resin-free to the naked eye, there were remnants of it. The differences between groups were so small that they might be clinically insignificant.     

Factor Xa-activated whole blood clotting time (Xa-ACT) for bedside monitoring of dalteparin anticoagulation during haemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) like dalteparin are increasingly used for anticoagulation during haemodialysis (HD). The available laboratory tests for monitoring LMWH anticoagulation are time-consuming and expensive, and the suitability of the conventional activated clotting time (ACT) is controversial. A simple and cheap bedside test would be useful. METHODS: We studied the factor Xa-activated whole blood clotting time (Xa-ACT) in vitro and in vivo in nine patients undergoing chronic HD with i.v. dalteparin bolus anticoagulation and compared it with the conventional ACT. Plasma anti-factor Xa (antiXa) activity was determined with a chromogenic assay. Thrombin-antithrombin complexes were measured to detect coagulation activation. RESULTS: Xa-ACT and ACT were prolonged with rising dalteparin concentration. In vitro, both clotting times were strongly correlated with the antiXa levels (r = 0.94 and 0.89, respectively). Nevertheless, compared with the ACT, the Xa-ACT was considerably more sensitive to the LMWH in vitro (healthy blood: Xa-ACT 90 s/U vs ACT 26 s/U; uraemic blood: Xa-ACT 96 s/U vs ACT 31 s/U) as well as in vivo (Xa-ACT 81 s/U vs ACT 22 s/U) and reflected different intensities of anticoagulation. An initial dalteparin bolus of 80+/-11 U/kg body weight was able to prevent coagulation activation for up to 4 h of HD. CONCLUSION: For monitoring LMWH anticoagulation the Xa-ACT was superior to the conventional ACT in vitro as well as in vivo during HD. The Xa-ACT can be useful as a LMWH bedside test. The ACT was not sensitive enough to serve as a LMWH monitoring tool.     

Endoscopic transthoracic sympathectomy: current indications and techniques

Zusammenfassung GRUNDLAGEN: Die endoskopische thorakale Sympathektomie (ETS) existiert seit 60 Jahren als effektive Therapie der primären Hyperhidrose. Nach wie vor gibt es in der medizinischen Welt teils Vorbehalte, teils Unwissen über die Methode selbst, ihre Erfolgs- und Komplikationsraten sowie Nebenwirkungen. METHODIK: Nach Einführung in die Symptome und Behandlung der primären Hyperhidrose (konservativ und chirurgisch) werden Operationsmethoden und Langzeitergebnisse der ETS-Operation vorwiegend anhand der Daten aus der eigenen Abteilung präsentiert. ERGEBNISSE: Von 1965–2001 wurden 734 Sympathikotomien (ETS2–4) und bis 2003 weitere 103 Sympathikusblockaden (ESB4) bei Patienten mit primärer palmarer und axillärer Hyperhidrose durchgeführt. Die Konversionsrate betrug 0,1 %. Seit Einführung der Video-Thorakoskopie 1991 trat kein postoperatives Horner-Syndrom auf (zuvor 2,2 %), Drainage-pflichtige Pneumothoraces waren in 1,1 % zu verzeichnen. Nach einem medianen Follow-up von 16 Jahren waren 93 % der Extremitäten trocken, 5 % fast trocken und 2 % feucht. Nebenwirkungen traten in Form von kompensatorischem Schwitzen am Stamm (55 % insgesamt, davon 5 % stark) und gustatorischem Schwitzen (33 %) auf. Seit Einführung der limitierten Sympathikusblockade auf Höhe T4 (ESB4) konnte (bei naturgemäß kurzer Nachbeobachtungszeit) das kompensatorische Schwitzen auf 8,5 % und das gustatorische Schwitzen auf 2,1 % gesenkt werden. Mit dem postoperativen Ergebnis waren 100 % der Patienten nach ESB4 zufrieden, nach ETS2–4 waren 80 % zufrieden, 14 % teilweise zufrieden und 6 % unzufrieden (meist wegen starken kompensatorischen Schwitzens). SCHLUSSFOLGERUNGEN: Die ETS-Operation bietet hohe langfristige Erfolgsraten bei niedrigen Komplikationsraten. Patienten sollten über die zu erwartenden Nebenwirkungen genau aufgeklärt werden, für unzufriedene Patienten mit starkem kompensatorischem Schwitzen besteht nun die Möglichkeit der thorakoskopischen Klip-Entfernung.     

Medizinische Beurteilungskriterien zu bandscheibenbedingten Berufskrankheiten der Lendenwirbelsäule (II)

The first part of this serial paper dealt with the medical criteria used in evaluation of the clinical picture caused by physical stress and the evaluation of other candidate causes and was published in issue no. 3/2005 (pp. 711–752) of Trauma and Berufskrankheit. This follow-up paper (II) presents criteria to be used in the evaluation of whether it is necessary to give up the occupations putting the spine at risk and in estimation of the degree of disability.