Facing a new reality: Significant increase in necrotizing fasciitis in the post-COVID era?

Background: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rare, rapidly progressing soft tissue infection characterized by the widespread necrosis of fascial planes and surrounding tissues.

Material And Methods: We discuss four consecutive necrotizing fasciitis cases of the head and neck region, that accrued in a time window of 6 months. Patient demographics, clinical features, laboratory analyses, imaging findings, surgical interventions, and outcome were collected, assessed and discussed.

"Evaluation of palatal bone regeneration in cleft palate patients following a two-stage palatoplasty using a modified Furlow procedure".

Background: A palatal cleft can be reconstructed using various palatoplasty techniques. Many techniques use local mucoperiosteal flaps to close the hard palate cleft, without closing the underlying bone defect. The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of spontaneous bone regeneration in the remaining bone defect following a two-stage palatoplasty.

Mandibular distraction osteogenesis in children with Pierre Robin sequence: long-term analysis of teeth and jaw growth.

Treatment of children with Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) having a hypoplastic mandible and upper airway distress after birth may consist of external distraction devices. Shape anomalies of the permanent molars and positional changes due to surgery have been documented. The aim of this study is to compare the long-term effects (>5 years) on the growth pattern of PRS-patients treated with an external mandibular distraction device with no-surgery cases and to investigate the dental development or damage.

The relationship between cleft palate repair technique and audiological outcomes: A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Otitis media with effusion is common in children with cleft palates. This study aimed to investigate the link between palatal closure techniques and audiological outcomes.

Methods: In this retrospective-prospective cohort study, we examined the relationship between palate repair techniques and hearing outcomes in children with cleft palates.

Gender inequality and burden of orofacial clefts in the Eastern Mediterranean region: findings from global burden of disease study 1990-2019.

Background: Gender inequality may be associated with the burden of orofacial clefts (OFCs), particularly in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). To investigate the OFCs' burden and its association with gender inequality in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR).

Methods: Country-specific data on the OFCs' prevalence and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2019 were gathered from the Global Burden of Disease database by age and gender.

Prevalence, trend, and associated risk factors for cleft lip with/without cleft palate: a national study on live births from 2016 to 2021.

Backgrounds: Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) is the most common congenital craniofacial anomaly, including non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate and cleft palate only. Failure in the fusion of median and lateral nasal processes, the maxillary prominence, and soft tissues around the oral cavity can cause CL/P. Previously, the prevalence has been estimated to be 1 among every 1000 births in 2014 among American neonates and no other reports have been available since.

Navigating the complexities and controversies of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ): a critical update and consensus statement.

Objectives: To provide a critical update identifying the knowledge gaps and controversies in medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) within the Belgian healthcare context and outline opportunities for improvement and research in these areas.

Methods: A literature review was performed to identify guidelines from international clinical societies in oncology or oral and maxillofacial surgery on diagnosing, preventing, and treating MRONJ. The recommendations were critically assessed in light of recent developments in the field and confronted with the clinical experience of experts.

Addition of Bone-Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells to 3D-Printed Alginate/Gelatin Hydrogel Containing Freeze-Dried Bone Nanoparticles Accelerates Regeneration of Critical Size Bone Defects.

A 3D-printed biodegradable hydrogel, consisting of alginate, gelatin, and freeze-dried bone allograft nanoparticles (npFDBA), is developed as a scaffold for enhancing cell adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation when combined with rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs). This composite hydrogel is intended for the regeneration of critical-sized bone defects using a rat calvaria defect model. The behavior of rBMSCs seeded onto the scaffold is evaluated through scanning electron microscope, MTT assays, and quantitative real-time PCR.

Anthropometric 3D evaluation of the face in patients with sleep related breathing disorders.

Purpose: To evaluate craniofacial measurements on 3D-stereophotogrammetry and see if particular measurements are more typical in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and have a correlation with its severity.

Methods: Subjects included were adults undergoing a diagnostic polysomnography. Age, BMI, neck, abdominal and hip circumference (cm) were recorded.

The effect of soft palate reconstruction with the da Vinci robot on middle ear function in children: an observational study.

Cleft palate is associated with a high prevalence of middle ear dysfunction, even after palatal repair. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of robot-enhanced soft palate closure on middle ear functioning. This retrospective study compared two patient groups after soft palate closure with a modified Furlow double-opposing Z-palatoplasty technique.

The influence of tissue redraping after Le Fort I type osteotomy.

Elongation of the upper lip, in particular the philtrum, and nose widening are common postoperative changes after a Le Fort I osteotomy. These changes can be induced by the transection of soft tissue and loosening of the underlying musculature. A methodology for soft tissue redraping was developed to limit these undesirable nasolabial changes.

Tooth Formation as Experimental Model to Study Chemotherapy on Tissue Development: Effect of a Specific Dose of Temozolomide/Veliparib.

Background: Chemotherapy treatment of cancer in children can influence formation of normal tissues, leading to irreversible changes in their structure and function. Tooth formation is susceptible to several types of chemotherapy that induce irreversible changes in the structure of enamel, dentin and dental root morphology. These changes can make the teeth more prone to fracture or to caries when they have erupted.

Do Gender and Age Influence Nasal Soft Tissue Widening After Bone-Borne Transpalatal Distraction?

Purpose: Widening of the nasal soft tissue after transpalatal distraction (TPD) is a well-known consequence of this treatment method used to correct transverse maxillary deficiency. However, because literature is scarce about the influence of gender and age, the purpose of this study is to estimate changes in the nasal soft tissue after TPD and to measure the association of gender and age with these observed changes.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, patients with transverse maxillary deficiency underwent combined orthodontic-surgical treatment.

Impact of surgically assisted rapid mandibular expansion on the temporomandibular joint - A retrospective study.

This study evaluates the impact of tooth-borne Surgically Assisted Rapid Mandibular Expansion (SARME) on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) function and condylar morphology. Medical records of patients who received a SARME between 2014 and 2018 are retrospectively reviewed concerning functional problems. Morphological changes of the condyles are analyzed by means of surface registration of 3D reconstructed CBCT scans preoperatively and one-year postoperatively, and correlated to functional outcome.

A Novel Technique for Nasal Alar Reconstruction.

Reconstruction of full-thickness alar defects is delicate. Small asymmetries are visible because of the central position of the nose. Different alar reconstruction techniques such as the nasolabial, bilobed, and composite grafts provide an excellent option to reconstruct alar skin and texture.

Prefabrication technique by preserving a muscular pedicle from masseter muscle as an in vivo bioreactor for reconstruction of mandibular critical-sized bone defects in canine models.

In vivo bioreactors serve as regenerative niches that improve vascularization and regeneration of bone grafts. This study has evaluated the masseter muscle as a natural bioreactor for βTCP or PCL/βTCP scaffolds, in terms of bone regeneration. The effect of pedicle preservation, along with sole, or MSC- or rhBMP2-combined application of scaffolds, has also been studied.

The effect of subspinal Le Fort 1 corticotomy on nasal morphology in surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion.

The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the influence of subspinal Le Fort 1 corticotomy (SLF1C) on nasal morphology in patients treated with surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion (SARPE) using three-dimensional (3D) stereophotogrammetry images. A total of 64 patients were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups according to the surgical approach that was used: in group 1 (n = 32) SARPE was performed using a conventional Le Fort 1 corticotomy (CLF1C), and in group 2 (n = 32) SARPE was performed using a subspinal Le Fort 1 corticotomy (SLF1C). Measurements of alar and columellar width, and nasolabial angle were taken on 3D stereophotogrammetry images before and after SARPE using Vectra 3D camera system.

A novel instrument for the prevention of condylar torque in bilateral sagittal ramus osteotomy when using bicortical screw fixation.

When using the bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) technique, rigid internal fixation (RIF) remains the standard method to accurately fix the distal and proximal osteotomy fragments. A concern with the use of RIF, especially with bicortical screws, is the increased risk of condylar torque and its functional consequences. This technical note introduces a new method for preventing torque of the mandibular condyles after BSSO, using a sagittal split space maintainer.

Cleft and COVID-19 Pandemic: Controversial Aspects of Social Distancing.

In the meantime, as COVID-19 has gone pandemic, social distancing has become inevitable; therefore, most in-person visits have been canceled to minimize the spread of the disease. This will greatly impact cleft palate patients as it will limit their chance to receive timely care and have persistent follow-up, and that could in turn delay its management so significantly that it could cause much more considerable complications. To mitigate the issue, it seems necessary to start integrating modern-day technologies into the everyday practice of physicians and to benefit from the opportunities it provides.

Virtual planning in Le Fort III distraction osteogenesis: A case series.

The objective of this study is to determine the value of using 3D planning tools and 3D printed cutting guides in Le Fort III osteotomies with external frame distraction osteogenesis. The process of planning and transfer of the virtual planning to the operating room is illustrated with 5 case. The virtual planning is transferred to the operating room using a 3D-printed supra-orbital reference bar with puzzle connections for the planned osteotomy guides.

Fabrication of Decellularized Engineered Extracellular Matrix through Bioreactor-Based Environment for Bone Tissue Engineering.

Extracellular matrix (ECM)-contained grafts can be achieved by decellularization of native bones or synthetic scaffolds. Limitations associated with harvesting the native bone has raised interest in preparing in vitro ECM bioscaffold for bone tissue engineering. Here, we intend to develop an ECM-contained construct via decellularizing an engineered gelatin-coated β-tricalcium phosphate (gTCP) scaffold.

The Effect of Autologous Alveolar Bone Grafting on Nasolabial Asymmetry in Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate.

The objective of this study was to examine whether an autologous alveolar bone graft has an effect on the nasolabial asymmetry in unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate. Fifteen children (mean age 7.5 ± 2.

Bioreactor cultivation condition for engineered bone tissue: Effect of various bioreactor designs on extra cellular matrix synthesis.

Dynamic-based systems are bio-designed in order to mimic the micro-environments of the bone tissue. There is limited direct comparison between perfusion and perfusion-rotation forces in designing a bioreactor. Hence, in current study, we aimed to compare given bioreactors for bone regeneration.

Psychological Well-being and Medical Guidance of Parents of Children With Cleft in Belgium During Feeding Problems of the Child: A Mixed Method Study.

Purpose: Cleft is one of the most common anomalies affecting 1 in every 500-750 newborns. Depending on the type of cleft and its size, these children may experience feeding problems immediately after birth. Cleft has consequences for the child, as well as for the parents.