The use of vascularized fibula flap in mandibular reconstruction; A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the observational studies.

Background: Vascularized fibular flaps are considered the gold standard for the reconstruction of segmental defects in the mandible. This review compares the complication and success rates of these techniques between primary and secondary reconstruction, as well as between lateral and antero-lateral defects.

Type Of Studies Reviewed: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to PRISMA protocol and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.

Antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENAS) in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: correlations with clinical manifestations and disease activity.

The aim was to explore possible correlations of antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) with clinical manifestations and disease activity indices in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. A total of 70 consecutive SLE patients (64 females) were included. Disease activity was assessed by SLE activity index (SLEDAI), and British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG).

Application of radiopaque micro-particle fillers for 3-D imaging of periodontal pocket analogues using cone beam CT.

Background: Periodontitis is an infectious/inflammatory disease most often diagnosed by deepening of the gingival sulcus, which leads to periodontal pockets (PPs) conventional manual periodontal probing does not provide detailed information on the three-dimensional (3-D) nature of PPs.

Objectives: To determine whether accurate 3-D analyses of the depths and volumes of calibrated PP analogues (PPAs) can be obtained by conventional cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) coupled with novel radiopaque micro-particle fillers (described in the companion paper) injected into the PPAs.

Methods: Two PPA models were employed: (1) a human skull model with artificial gingiva applied to teeth with alveolar bone loss and calibrated PPAs, and (2) a pig jaw model with alveolar bone loss and surgically-induced PPAs The PPAs were filled with controlled amounts of radiopaque micro-particle filler using volumetric pipetting Inter-method and intra-method agreement tests were then used to compare the PPA depths and volumes obtained from CBCT images with values obtained by masked examiners using calibrated manual methods.

Development of radiopaque, biocompatible, antimicrobial, micro-particle fillers for micro-CT imaging of simulated periodontal pockets.

Objectives: Approximately 10 bacteria can be harbored within periodontal pockets (PP) along with inflammatory byproducts implicated in the pathophysiology of systemic diseases linked to periodontitis (PD). Calculation of this inflammatory burden has involved estimation of total pocket surface area using analog data from conventional periodontal probing which is unable to determine the three-dimensional (3-D) nature of PP. The goals of this study are to determine the radiopacity, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial activity of transient micro-particle fillers in vitro and demonstrate their capability for 3-D imaging of artificial PP (U.

Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism.

Cancer patients are at high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) which is considered the second leading cause of death among this population. Both cancer and cancer treatment increase this risk. Since the risk of VTE is not the same in all cancer patients, it is important to understand what factors increase the risk of incident and the risk of recurrent VTE in this patient population.