[Surgical anatomy of the maxillary sinus]

Reconstruction of Extensive Maxillary Defects Using Flow-Through Fibula Free Flap With Anterolateral Thigh Free Flap

BACKGROUND

The maxillary defects left unreconstructed or inadequately reconstructed often result in significant functional and esthetic impairments. Adequate reconstruction of extensive maxillary defects requires a sufficient volume of hard and soft tissues.

METHODS

A 48-year-old male presenting bilateral extensive maxillary defects underwent secondary reconstruction with a flow-through fibula free flap in combination with an anterolateral thigh free flap.

RESULTS

The use of flow-through technique allowed minimizing the problem of limited recipient vessels and the length of free flap vascular pedicle usually encountered in secondary reconstruction. The bilateral maxillary defects were successfully reconstructed, and the postoperative outcomes were uneventful. The patient was satisfied with the treatment outcomes. He is being followed up and was referred to the implantology department for the placement of osseointegrated dental implants.

CONCLUSIONS

The flow-through fibula free flap, in combination with the anterolateral thigh free flap, was found reliable and feasible for this case of secondary reconstruction of bilateral maxillary defects. This technique has provided satisfactory functional and esthetic outcomes and effectively improved the patient's self-esteem.

Comparison of Static and Dynamic Navigation in Root End Resection Performed by Experienced and Inexperienced Operators: An In Vitro Study

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to compare the effects of static navigation (SN), a dynamic navigation system (DNS), and the freehand (FH) technique in root end resection and the differences between these effects according to the level of experience of the operator.

METHODS

Maxillary models reconstructed with Mimics software (Materialise, Leuven, Belgium) were 3-dimensionally printed and divided according to the experimental technique (FH, SN, or DNS) and the operator (experienced or inexperienced). SN was designed using 3-matic Medical software (Materialise) and printed, and a surgical approach plan for DNS was established and performed using DCARER (Suzhou, China) software. The accuracy, efficiency, and safety of the resections were assayed.

RESULTS

The length, angle, volume, and depth deviations of the root end resections were significantly lower in the SN and DNS group compared with the FH group. SN significantly improved the efficiency of both operators, whereas DNS only improved the efficiency of the inexperienced operator. No difference between the SN and DNS groups was found, except for the time required for the surgery. No mishaps occurred during surgery in the SN or DNS group. The number of mishaps with the FH technique when used by the inexperienced operator was significantly higher than that registered for the rest of the groups. No interaction effect between technique and operator experience level was detected.

CONCLUSIONS

Regardless of operator experience, both SN and DNS could improve the accuracy and safety of root end resection. SN significantly improved the chairside efficiency of both operators, whereas DNS was more helpful for the inexperienced operator.

Multidetector CT of the Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses Variations in 73 Patients

Detailed knowledge of the anatomy of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is very important in the diagnosis of pathological processes, planning of endoscopic surgery, and radiologic guiding techniques during certain operations. Observational study. Clinic of Neurosurgery, Institute and Department of Anatomy and Pathology, Clinic and Department for Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Medicine. Two heads with brains were serially cut in the axial and coronal planes. 73 individuals, who were enrolled among 1848 patients, underwent examination by multidetector computerized tomography. A nasal septal deviation was seen in 65.8%, and septal pneumatization in 11%. Superior concha pneumatization was observed in 1.4% of patients, middle concha bullosa in 30.2%, and its hypoplasia in 1.4%. The lamina papyracea dehiscence was also present in 1.4%. The uncinate process was absent in 1.4%, and it was pneumatized in 4.2%. Agger nasi cells were noticed in 34.3%, and Haller and Onodi cells in 20.7% each. The olfactory fossa was shallow in 9.7%, deep in 31.6%, and very deep in 58.9%. Absence of the frontal sinus was seen in 9.7%. The presellar type of the sphenoidal sinus was present in 11%, the sellar in 35.7%, and the postsellar in 53.5%. Hypoplasia of the maxillary sinus was revealed in 1.4%, and hyperpneumatization in 4.2%. The sinus floor was usually below the level (60.3%), at the same level (20.7%), or above the level of the nasal floor (19.2%). The bony septum within the sinus was seen in 52.1%. The presented data are of a great significance in order to avoid a misdiagnosis of the anatomic variations, to make a proper diagnosis of certain diseases, and for safe endonasal operations.

Structural and functional changes of nasal cavity and maxillary sinus in patients with skeletal class III malocclusion 1 year after bimaxillary surgery

PURPOSE

This study aimed to analyse changes in the nasal cavity and maxillary sinus structure and function in patients with skeletal class III malocclusion 1 year after bimaxillary surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of 20 patients (10 men and 10 women; mean age 24.3 ± 3.4 years) with skeletal class III malocclusion who underwent Le Fort I osteotomy and bilateral sagittal split osteotomy were obtained before and 1 year after the surgery. CBCT data were stored opened with element 3D (E3D) to establish a nasal airway model (the paranasal sinus includes only the maxillary sinus). Ansys (ANSYS) software is used for simulation and analysis.

RESULTS

The maxillary sinus and nasal cavity volumes decreased significantly 1 year after the surgery. After surgery, the volume of nasal cavity decreased by 13.5%, and the average volume of maxillary sinus decreased by 7.8%. There was no significant difference in the degree of deviation of the septum and nasal cavity resistance, and air distribution in the maxillary sinus did not change. The nasal cavity wall shear stress change was similar to that before surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The maxillary sinus volume and nasal cavity volume of patients with skeletal class III malocclusion changed significantly after bimaxillary surgery, but there was no significant change in nasal ventilation function 1 year after surgery.

Odontogenic Sinusitis: From Diagnosis to Treatment Possibilities-A Narrative Review of Recent Data

The maxillary sinus is a structure at the border of specialties: otorhinolaryngology and maxillofacial surgery. Due to this fact, regarding etiology, it can be affected by both the rhinogenic and odontogenic path and can impose diagnostic difficulties. The etiopathogenic mechanisms that can affect the Schneiderian membrane are mainly inflammatory, iatrogenic, traumatic, and tumorous in nature. From a microbiological point of view, the bacteriology is polymorphic, including both aerobic and anaerobic species in acute OS, the predominating species in acute OS being aerobic, and in chronic anaerobic germs. The role of fungi in the determination of this pathology and in the production of the biofilm that leads to resistance to antibiotic treatment is also discussed. The present paper aims to present the etiopathogenesis, bacteriology, clinical manifestations, as well as treatment of odontogenic sinusitis (OS) from an updated perspective through reviewing the literature. If unilateral maxillary sinusitis is usually due to odontogenic causes, this does not clinically exclude the possibility of strictly rhinogenic causes in the occurrence of sinusitis. This underlines the important role of complex oral and rhinological clinical examination as well as the role of preclinical examinations in specifying the certainty diagnosis. Simple radiography, orthopantomography, CT, and CBCT are compared in terms of diagnostic accuracy. The treatment of OS is complex, involving medication, dental, and surgical measures. The value of endoscopic surgery is emphasized, comparing its advantages over the classic Caldwell-Luc technique.