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Background: For optimal treatment of facial defects following Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), the aesthetic unit principles should be applied. Often multiple staged procedures and revisions are necessary. Objective: To analyze the reconstructive options and outcomes for complex facial defects per aesthetic unit. Methods: Data of 202 patients, who underwent a facial reconstruction at the department of plastic and reconstructive surgery following MMS, were collected. Results: The central facial units were affected in more than 70%, with over 20% of the defects involving more than 1 unit. Nasal defects required the longest reconstruction time (3-staged forehead flap) and periocular defects the most revisional procedures. In more than 50%, additional operations (range, 1-5) were needed. In 12%, postoperative complications occurred. Conclusion: An overview for the reconstructive options of extensive facial skin cancer is presented. Proper treatment requires a structured multidisciplinary approach in order to achieve excellent tumour control and a satisfactory aesthetic and functional end result.

Purpose: The use of ceramic materials in repair of bone defects is limited to non-load -bearing sites. We tested poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) combined with beta-tricalcium phosphate or biphasic calcium phosphate particles for reconstruction of cranial defects.Materials and methods: PTMC-calcium phosphate composite matrices were implanted in cranial defects in sheep for 3 and 9 months. Micro-computed tomography quantification and histological observation were performed for analysis.Results: No differences were found in new bone formation among the defects left unfilled, filled with PTMC scaffolds, or filled with either kind of PTMC-calcium phosphate composite scaffolds. Porous beta-TCP scaffolds as control led to a larger amount of newly formed bone in the defects than all other materials. Histology revealed abundant new bone formation in the defects filled with porous beta-TCP scaffolds. New bone formation was limited in defects filled with PTMC scaffolds or different PTMC-calcium phosphate matrices. PTMC matrices were degraded uneventfully. New bone formation within the defects followed an orderly pattern.Conclusions: PTMC did not interfere with bone regeneration in sheep cranial defects and is suitable as a polymer matrix for incorporating calcium phosphate particles. Increasing the content of calcium phosphate particles in the composite matrices may enhance the beneficial effects of the particles on new bone formation. (c) 2016 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ObjectivesOur study compared two novel, biodegradable poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) barrier membranes to clinically applied barrier membranes in maintaining volume of block autologous bone grafts in a rat mandible model.Material and methodsTwo hundred and forty rats were included in this study. Block autologous bone grafts of 5mm in diameter were harvested from the mandibular angles and transplanted onto the contralateral side. The bone grafts were either covered with a membrane or left uncovered. The applied membranes included pure PTMC membranes, biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) incorporated PTMC composite membranes, expanded poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (e-PTFE) membranes (Tex) and collagen membranes (Geistlich Bio-Gide). After 2, 4 and 12weeks, the rat mandibles were retrieved and analysed by histological evaluation and CT quantification.ResultsThe histological evaluation revealed that in time the block autologous bone graft was well integrated to the recipient bone via gradually maturing newly formed bone and did not show signs of resorption, independent of membrane coverage or types of membrane. CT quantification showed the volume of the bone graft and recipient bone together was maintained by new bone formation and recipient bone resorption.ConclusionsOur study showed that the use of PTMC membranes and PTMC-BCP composite membranes resulted in similar bone remodelling to the collagen membranes and e-PTFE membranes and that the use of barrier membranes did not interfere with bone remodelling of the bone grafts and recipient bones. However, the used barrier membranes seemed not to contribute in maintaining the volume of block autologous bone grafts.

Poly(trimethylene carbonate) and beta-tricalcium phosphate (PTMC/beta-TCP) composite materials were prepared by coprecipitation and compression molding. The effect of different amounts of the ceramic component (15 and 30 vol %) on the properties was investigated. The effect of lamination with minimal amounts of poly(D,L-lactide) (PDLLA) was assessed as well. It was hypothesized that these composites would be suitable for orbital floor reconstruction, as the polymer component resorbs enzymatically without the formation of acidic compounds, while the ceramic component could induce bone formation. To asses their suitability as load bearing devices, the flexural properties of the prepared (laminated) composites were determined in three point bending experiments and compared with those of currently used reconstruction devices. The flexural modulus of PTMC composites increased from 617 MPa when introducing 30 vol % beta-TCP. A laminate of this composite with PDLLA (with respective layer thicknesses of 0.8 and 0.2 mm) had a flexural modulus of 64 MPa. When evaluated in a mechanical engineering model of the orbital floor the (laminated) composites materials showed similar behavior compared to the currently used materials. The results suggest that from a mechanical point of view these (laminated) composite sheets should be well suited for use in orbital floor reconstruction. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 100B: 16101620, 2012.

Annexin V imaging is suggested to provide a good indication of cancer treatment efficacy. To study the accuracy of 99m Tc-AnxV imaging, we monitored chemo-sensitive and chemo-resistant tumors in a mouse breast cancer model after treatment with docetaxel. Sensitive tumors showed a slight peak in 99m Tc-AnxV uptake one day post-treatment, while uptake in resistant tumors remained constant. In contrast to immunohistochemical analysis, 99m Tc-AnxV imaging could not be used to predict tumor response, due to large variation between animals.

Specific removal of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) during breast cancer surgery presents physicians with the opportunity to detect early metastatic disease. To increase the accuracy of intraoperative SLN detection, new methods with higher sensitivity and specificity are required. We have quantitatively compared conventional preoperative lymphoscintigraphy with albumin radiocolloids ((99m)Tc-NanoColl) with optical intraoperative guidance using the near infrared dye indocyanine green (ICG) in an orthotopic mouse model for metastatic breast cancer. Furthermore, we have applied a self-assembled multimodal complex, in which ICG is non-covalently bound to the albumin radiocolloid, to attain identical dynamics of the radioactive and optical components. The SLN specificity of the multimodal complex is similar to conventional lymphoscintigraphy, while the fluorescent signal-to-noise ratio is improved by 86% compared to ICG alone. In addition, the multimodal complex permits scintigraphic validation of the fluorescent findings. The multimodal ICG-(99m)Tc-NanoColl complex can be used both for lymphoscintigraphy by preoperative single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography and for surgical navigation by intraoperative fluorescence imaging.