Efficacy of a single occipitomental radiograph to screen for midfacial fractures.

Purpose: This study evaluated the use of a single 30 degrees occipitomental radiograph as an effective screening procedure for midface fractures.

Patients And Methods: The emergency room 30 degrees occipitomental films of 105 consecutive patients with suspected midface fractures were examined independently by 2 oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFS). They were asked to identify whether a midfacial fracture existed in each case.

A comparison of vascularized and nonvascularized bone grafts for reconstruction of mandibular continuity defects.

Purpose: This study compared vascularized and nonvascularized bone grafts for the reconstruction of segmental defects of the mandible.

Patients And Methods: The results in 39 patients having vascularized bone grafts (38 fibulas and one iliac crest) and 29 patients having nonvascularized bone grafts (26 iliac crest [22 corticocancellous block grafts, four cancellous bone grafts in a tray] and three rib grafts) for segmental mandibular reconstruction were evaluated in terms of overall success rate, total number of surgeries performed, total blood loss, total number of hospital days, and total number of hours in the operating room.

Results: Of 39 vascularized bone grafts, two failed (95% success rate), whereas of 29 nonvascularized bone grafts, seven failed (76% success rate).

Diagnosis of acute bone/bone marrow infarction of the mandible in sickle hemoglobinopathy. Report of a case.

Vasoocclusive involvement of bones is a common cause of acute morbidity in patients with sickle cell hemoglobinopathy. Although the literature contains only two reports of infarction of the mandible in sickle cell vasooccusive crisis, earlier authors were often limited to the clinical examination as their primary or only diagnostic method. This article presents a sickle cell patient in vasoocclusive crisis who subsequently developed infarction of the right mandible without an infectious or inflammatory cause and was ultimately diagnosed by nuclear bone imaging scans.