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Thirty-five patients (range 16-59 years) with cleft-lip nasal deformity treated by external rhinoplasty were evaluated for satisfaction and perception of outcomes. Treatment involved alar base relocation and augmentation of the asymmetric nasal tip with auricular cartilage grafts. The patients completed a satisfaction survey and interview at the 2-year follow-up visit. A visual analogue scale (VAS) numbered 0-10 was also used by the patients to grade outcome compared to preoperative appearance at 4 anatomic sites. Prior to surgery, the nasal tip was perceived as being most deformed (15/35), followed by alar position (12/35) and nasal apertures (8/35). The site on the nose most improved by surgery was the tip (15), followed by alar position (10), symmetry of nostrils (6) and dorsum (4). The highest VAS score was for the tip (8.32), followed by alar position (7.59), dorsum (7.41) and symmetry of nostrils (6.73). No patients suffered long-term pain for more than 2 months following surgery. All patients were prepared to undergo such procedure for a second time, if necessary. The unilateral cleft-lip nasal deformity can be improved in the eyes of the patient, using the combination of external rhinoplasty with alar base relocation, where necessary, and auricular cartilage augmentation of the nasal tip.

The aim of this cadaver study was to evaluate the possibility of using the zygomatic bone as an intraoral bone harvesting donor site and to determine the safety of this harvesting procedure. In addition, the volume of bone material harvested from the zygomatic bone was measured. Twenty fixed adult cadavers were used to yield a total of 40 zygomatic bone harvest sites, from which bone was collected. The volume of bone obtained from the zygomatic harvests was measured with a water displacement method and by compressing the graft into a syringe. The safety of the technique was evaluated by assessing possible encroachment upon the neighbouring structures. After bone harvesting, the zygomatic sites were exposed and evaluated for visible perforations or fractures. Possible damage to the neighbouring tissues was also examined with computed tomography scans at 18 sites in nine cadavers. The average bone graft volume obtained from the zygomatic bone was measured to be 0.53 ml (SD 0.25) with water displacement and 0.59 ml (SD 0.26) with the syringe. The complications in the zygoma included 15 small perforations into the maxillary sinus and 7 perforations into the infratemporal fossa. CT scans showed that bone could be harvested safely without encroaching upon the orbital floor or the surrounding nerves and vessels in the zygoma. The zygomatic bone is a safe intraoral donor site for the reconstruction of small- to medium-sized alveolar defects.

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of the presence, position, and severity of impaction of the mandibular third molars, on the incidence of mandibular angle fractures. A retrospective cohort study was designed for patients presenting to the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Toronto General Hospital (Toronto, Canada), for treatment of mandibular fractures from January 1995 to June 2000. The independent variables in this study were the presence, position and severity of impaction of third molars. The outcome variable was the incidence of mandibular angle fractures. Hospital charts and panoramic radiographs were used to determine and classify these variables. The demographic data included age, sex, mechanism of injury and number of mandibular fractures. The study sample comprised 413 mandibular fractures in 214 patients. The incidence of angle fractures was found to be significantly higher in the male population and was most commonly seen in the third decade of life. Assault remained the most significant aetiological factor. Patients with third molars had thrice the increased risk of angle fractures when compared to patients without (P<0.001). Impaction of third molars significantly increased the incidence of angle fractures (P<0.001). The severity and angulation of third molar impactions were not significantly associated with angle fractures. This study provides evidence that patients with retained impacted third molars are significantly more susceptible to angle fracture than those without. The risk for angle fracture, however, does not seem to be influenced by the severity of impaction.