Three-dimensional reconstruction of enamel thickness and volume in humans and hominoids.

Enamel thickness is an important diagnostic characteristic in Hominoidea. However, the sample size is extremely small, relying upon mostly fractured specimens and a few sectioned specimens, providing an estimate of enamel thickness only. What is needed to fully understand the significance of enamel thickness is a non-destructive technique that is able to obtain the thickness, density, and volume of the dental hard tissues of large samples, thereby providing an accurate means of relating thickness, area, volume, and the pattern of distribution of both enamel and dentin.

The effect of opening wedge thoracostomy on thoracic insufficiency syndrome associated with fused ribs and congenital scoliosis.

Background: Thoracic insufficiency syndrome is the inability of the thorax to support normal respiration or lung growth and is seen in patients who have severe congenital scoliosis with fused ribs. Traditional spinal surgery does not directly address this syndrome.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients with congenital scoliosis associated with fused ribs of the concave hemithorax had an opening wedge thoracostomy with primary longitudinal lengthening with use of a chest-wall distractor known as a vertical, expandable prosthetic titanium rib.

Reporting of child abuse: a follow-up survey of Texas dentists.

Purpose: Child abuse is a disturbingly common finding in society today. There have been substantial and significant increases in the incidence of child abuse since the last national incidence study was conducted in 1986. Kassebaum first reported the under-reporting of child abuse by Texas dental professionals in a survey in 1986.

The characteristics of thoracic insufficiency syndrome associated with fused ribs and congenital scoliosis.

1. Thoracic insufficiency syndrome is the inability of the thorax to support normal respiration or lung growth. 2.

Maxillary sinus septa: a 3-dimensional computerized tomographic scan analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, size, location, and morphology of maxillary sinus septa in dentate, partially dentate, and edentulous maxillae.

Materials And Methods: Data from 312 sinuses were analyzed from reformatted computerized tomograms utilizing SIM/Plant software. The sample consisted of 156 patients (106 women and 50 men, with ages ranging between 24 and 86 years and a mean age of 55.