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Abstract Introduction Orthognathic surgery (OGS) is a highly sophisticated surgical technique that aims to repair a variety of skeletal and dental abnormalities, including misaligned jaws and teeth. It requires precise preoperative preparation and advanced surgical skills, which are typically learned through years of practical experience in operating rooms or laboratory-based surgical training facilities utilizing cadavers or models. The traditional physical hands-on method of surgical training is still used at OGS. However, this method requires a longer time of preparation. Currently, mixed reality (MR)—a combination of virtual reality and augmented reality technology—is an innovation of OGS. The present study aimed to present a comprehensive review of studies that assessed the advantages of utilizing mixed reality technology in OGS. Methods A modified Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome strategy was performed using a combination of electronic (PubMed, Cochrane, Embase) and manual searches between 2013 and 2023 exploring mixed reality (MR) technology in OGS in the last 10 years. The inclusion criteria were limited to the patient and study model focusing on the clinical application of MR and the associated field of OGS. Result The initial search indicated 1731 studies, of which 17 studies were included for analysis. The main results indicated that the use of MR technology in OGS led to high accuracy and time reduction as primary outcomes and cost-effectiveness and skill improvement as secondary outcomes. The review firmly concluded that MR technology exhibited a positive impact on students, trainees, and oromaxillofacial surgeons. However, due to the heterogeneity of the included studies, meta-analyses could not be performed. Collectively, these findings provide strong evidence for the advantages of MR technology in orthognathic surgery. Conclusion MR technology significantly improves OGS planning efficiency by providing pre-surgical information and serving as an intraoperative navigation tool, reducing surgical time without compromising outcomes. Virtual training using MR technology exerts a positive impact on knowledge and skill improvement for OGS. This innovative technology will revolutionize the healthcare system and enhance patient care.

Simple bone cysts (SBCs) are nonneoplastic intraosseous cavities without an epithelial lining, surrounded by bony walls and either empty or containing liquid and/or connective tissue: they were first described in 1929 as a distinct entity of disease. The characteristic that distinguishes SBCs from true cysts is the absence of epithelial lining, that allow us to regard SBCs as pseudocysts.In the literature, SBCs have been referred to as solitary bone cysts, idiopathic bone cysts, unicameral cysts, traumatic bone cysts, hemorrhagic bone cysts, primary bone cysts, and extravasation cysts.The pathogenesis of SBC remains uncertains. Radiographically, SBCs usually present as isolated unilocular radiolucencies with well-defined borders. When SBC extends to the interdental bone, the characteristic radiographic “scalloping effect” can be observed. The differential diagnosis includes apical periodontitis, odontogenic keratocyst, central giant cell granuloma, ameloblastoma, odontogenic myxoma, and central and neurogenic neoplasms.Surgery (curettage) is the gold standard treatment as it allows both diagnosis and treatment by generation of a blood clot in the vacant cavity of SBCs: bone usually regenerates progressively within 6–12 months. Recurrence rate is almost negligible.The aim of the present article is to present and discuss the diagnosis and management of a case of SBC.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability on dental and skeletal aspect after surgical advancement and counterclockwise rotation for the correction of the mandibular deficiency in patients with high mandibular plane angle (MPA). Methods: We analyzed the records of patients who had undergone surgical treatment for dentofacial deformities with mandibular deficiency and high MPA. Clinical and radiological data were taken 1 month before surgery (T0), 6 weeks after surgery (T1) and 1 year after surgery (T2). Cephalometric values of the MPA were recorded and compared. The cephalometric changes in the different time periods were defined as follows: A: postsurgical changes (T0–T1), B: one-year changes (T1–T2), and C: short term changes (T0–T2). Results: Twenty-seven patients had prominent mandibular deficiency with an MPA of over 35° (high angle). The mean age of patients at surgery was 29.7 years. Seven patients had a single jaw procedure, 20 patients had bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) combined with a Le Fort I osteotomy, and 14 patients had additional genioplasty. MPA values differed significantly between the time periods (p

OBJECTIVES:As tumours of bone and soft tissue are rare, multicentre prospective collaboration is essential for meaningful research and evidence-based advances in patient care. The aim of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators encountered in large-scale collaborative research by orthopaedic oncological surgeons involved or interested in prospective multicentre collaboration. METHODS:All surgeons who were involved, or had expressed an interest, in the ongoing Prophylactic Antibiotic Regimens in Tumour Surgery (PARITY) trial were invited to participate in a focus group to discuss their experiences with collaborative research in this area. The discussion was digitally recorded, transcribed and anonymised. The transcript was analysed qualitatively, using an analytic approach which aims to organise the data in the language of the participants with little theoretical interpretation. RESULTS:The 13 surgeons who participated in the discussion represented orthopaedic oncology practices from seven countries (Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Denmark, United States and Canada). Four categories and associated themes emerged from the discussion: the need for collaboration in the field of orthopaedic oncology due to the rarity of the tumours and the need for high level evidence to guide treatment; motivational factors for participating in collaborative research including establishing proof of principle, learning opportunity, answering a relevant research question and being part of a collaborative research community; barriers to participation including funding, personal barriers, institutional barriers, trial barriers, and administrative barriers and facilitators for participation including institutional facilitators, leadership, authorship, trial set-up, and the support of centralised study coordination. CONCLUSIONS:Orthopaedic surgeons involved in an ongoing international randomised controlled trial (RCT) were motivated by many factors to participate. There were a number of barriers to and facilitators for their participation. There was a collective sense of fatigue experienced in overcoming these barriers, which was mirrored by a strong collective sense of the importance of, and need for, collaborative research in this field. The experiences were described as essential educational first steps to advance collaborative studies in this area. Knowledge gained from this study will inform the development of future large-scale collaborative research projects in orthopaedic oncology.Cite this article: J. S. Rendon, M. Swinton, N. Bernthal, M. Boffano, T. Damron, N. Evaniew, P. Ferguson, M. Galli Serra, W. Hettwer, P. McKay, B. Miller, L. Nystrom, W. Parizzia, P. Schneider, A. Spiguel, R. Vélez, K. Weiss, J. P. Zumárraga, M. Ghert. Barriers and facilitators experienced in collaborative prospective research in orthopaedic oncology: A qualitative study. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:-314. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.65.BJR-2016-0192.R1.

Tetanus is an acute and vaccine-preventable disease caused by anaerobic bacteria, Clostridium tetani. This bacterium can enter the human body via a deep wound, burn injury or medical procedure; however, certain cases also originate from odontogenic infection. In the present study, a tetanus infection associated with dental origin in a 44-year-old man is reported. The case was complicated by lockjaw and difficulty swallowing that worsened over a few days, followed by a generalized spasm. Furthermore, a literature review was performed, in which six reported cases of tetanus, presumed to be of dental or oral origin, were identified between 2011and 2021. General practitioners, especially dentists, should be aware of tetanus associated with odontogenic origin even without a history of an external penetrating wound or other medical procedures:.

Background: Gorham-Stout disease (GSD) is a rare disorder characterised by spontaneous and progressive bone resorption. It is a benign, generally self-limited disease; the evolution is unpredictable, with severe complications. There is no correlation with gender, ethnicity, environmental and infectious risk factors. The etiopathogenesis is unknown. A key role of osteoclasts was suggested as one possible hypothesis. Recently, the genomic analysis revealed the presence of mutations in genes involved in vasculogenesis, angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. GSD could occur in different bones, commonly on the maxillofacial and upper limbs. Symptoms are related to the affected site. Generally, the disease presents with swelling, pain and functional limitation of the involved district but may also be asymptomatic until a pathological fracture occurs. Objective: An exhaustive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane library was performed. The research was limited from 1838 to March 2022. This review aims to summarise the latest knowledge on the etiopathogenesis, clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, and treatment of GSD to provide orthopaedic surgeons with a guide to treat this rare disease correctly. Conclusions: Diagnosis is challenging and of exclusion. It is based on clinical suspicion and diagnostic tests. Standard X-rays, CT, MRI and bone-scan, contribute to characterising the disease. Diagnostic confirmation is by histopathological examination. Treatments are different and not yet standardised. Pharmacological, radiotherapeutic or surgical approaches can be performed alone or in combination. Medical treatments are based on bisphosphonates and anti-angiogenic drugs. Radiotherapy could improve pain symptoms and reduce bone resorption. Surgically, osteolysis could be treated by bone resection and reconstruction with bone grafts, prostheses, or a combination of these.

Introduction: Tumors of minor salivary gland origin are uncommon lesions, representing 2-3 % of all malignant neoplasms of the upper aerodigestive tract and 9-23 % of all salivary gland tumors. The aim of this study is to report the demographic features, sites, histological types and the management and outcomes of oral and oropharyngeal minor salivary gland tumors diagnosed and treated in a University Hospital with a multidisciplinary head and neck team., Materials and Methods: A single-center retrospective observational study was conducted in a cohort of patients who received diagnosis of minor salivary gland carcinoma of oropharynx and oral cavity between July 30th 2000 and 30th September 2021. The following data of the included patients were collected: age, gender, smoke history, alcohol consumption, past medical history, comorbidities, anatomic location of the tumor, histopathology, staging, management, and outcomes., Results: A total of 30 cases (16 females, 14 males) of oral and oropharyngeal minor salivary gland tumors were reviewed. The most frequent histotype was polymorphous adenocarcinoma (12 patients). The majority of patients presented with low stage at diagnosis, with 66,66 % of the population classified as stage I or II at diagnosis. On the whole, 29 patients out of 30 benefitted from a surgical approach as first treatment. In 11 patients, adjuvant radiotherapy was performed and in 6 cases it was associated with chemotherapy. Brachytherapy with different timing was performed in 5 cases. The recurrence rate was 26.66 %. Overall disease specific survival at five and ten years was found to be approximately 81 % and 33 % respectively., Conclusions: Surgery is still considered to be the gold standard of the treatment of minor salivary gland tumors. Radiation therapy, in spite of not being considered as a curative primary treatment for salivary malignancies, is extensively used as an adjuvant treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Medication Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) has traditionally been mostly attributed to the exposure to antiresorptive agents such as bisphosphonates and denosumab. Nevertheless, following the development of new medications in oncology, the spectrum of drugs associated with MRONJ widened, with, for example, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, mTOR inhibitor, or monoclonal antibodies against VEGF. To date, MRONJ has not been assessed or reported in patients treated with guselkumab so far. Guselkumab is a fully human IgG1λ monoclonal antibody that selectively targets the p19 protein subunit of extracellular human IL-23 and inhibits its intracellular and downstream signalling. It consists of two identical light chains and two identical heavy chains. The four chains are linked together by covalent disulfide bonds and noncovalent protein-protein interactions. The aim of this article is to report a case of a patient with severe psoriasic arhtritis and plaque psoriasis who presented with a clinical condition that could resemble a MRONJ following guselkumab therapy and a dental root extraction., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No competing interest, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: Dentigerous cysts are slow-growing, asymptomatic lesions that typically form around the crowns of impacted teeth. They are not detected until they start to harm the tissues around the teeth., Aim: The present study aimed to describe surgical techniques for treating dentigerous cysts associated with ectopic teeth., Cases: Three patients with dentigerous cysts associated with ectopic teeth, their surgical approaches, and the supporting literature are presented herein. In two cases, the surgical technique used was intra-oral, and in one case was extra-oral. Under general anesthesia, dentigerous cyst enucleation and ectopic tooth removal were carried out., Discussion: In the present study, the ectopic tooth cases were all linked to dentigerous cysts. Enucleation or marsupialization treatments could be used to treat dentigerous cysts. Enucleation with the removal of the impacted tooth is the preferred treatment for dentigerous cysts., Conclusion: To perform minimally invasive surgery, the position of the ectopic teeth, the accessibility of the surgical site, the degree of bone reduction, and the simplicity of instrumentation should all be considered., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The purpose of this European multicenter study was to describe the general characteristics and risk factors of MRONJ lesions as well as their clinical diagnosis and management at different European Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery centers, in order to minimize selections biases and provide information about the epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, and the current trends in the treatment of MRONJ across Europe., Materials and Methods: The following data were registered for each patient: gender; age at MRONJ diagnosis; past medical history; indication for antiresorptive or antiangiogenic therapy; type of antiresorptive medication; local risk factor for MRONJ; MRONJ Stage; anatomic location and symptoms; treatment; surgical complications; recurrence., Results: A total of 537 patients (375 females, 162 males) with MRONJ were included. Statistically significant associations were found between patients with metastatic bone disease and recurrences (P < 0.0005) and between advanced MRONJ stages (stages 2 and 3) and recurrences (P < 0.005). Statistically significant associations were also found between male gender and recurrences (P < 0.05), and between MRONJ maxillary sites and recurrences (P < 0.0000005)., Conclusions: A longer mean duration of antiresorptive medications before MRONJ onset was observed in patients affected by osteoporosis, whereas a shorter mean duration was observed in all metastatic bone cancer patients, and in particular in those affected by prostate cancer with bone metastases or multiple myeloma. Surgery plays an important role for the management of MRONJ lesions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No competing interest, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background. Poor oral health is highly prevalent among elderlies and may impact quality of life of elderly people. In this scenario, oral health has been often linked to general health and chronic disorders, including distinct features of frailty. The aim of the present umbrella review of systematic reviews was to assess the scientific literature on the correlation between oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) and elderly to present a multidisciplinary approach to these complex patients. Methods. We performed a literature search of the databases Pub-Med/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database electronic databases. Two independent reviewers performed the literature research from the inception to 25th November 2023 and screened the studies for eligibility. Results. The search resulted in a total of 676 results eligible articles. After removal of duplicates and full-text screening, a total of 3 systematic reviews were considered to meet the inclusion criteria and were included for this review. Conclusions. Frailty is very common in elderly such as a poor oral health. In this scenario, malnutrition and bad lifestyle habits may affect not only the determinism of many systemic non-communicable diseases but also oral health quality. Taken together, the findings of this umbrella review of systematic reviews showed a strict correlation between the frailty, typical condition of ageing people, and a poor OHRQoL. Therefore, it is mandatory to implement the oral health prevention with specific protocols of oral rehabilitation to improve the OHRQoL in elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common but accurate diagnosis and its clinical consequences have been a problem. Maxillofacial trauma does have an association with TBI. Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) has been developed to evaluate neuronal damage. The objective of this study was to investigate the accuracy of NSE serum levels to detect mild brain injury of patients with sustained maxillofacial fractures during motor vehicle accidents. Methods: Blood samples were drawn from 40 healthy people (control group) and 48 trauma patients who had sustained isolated maxillofacial fractures and mild brain injury in motor vehicle accidents. Brain injuries were graded by Glasgow Coma Scale. In the trauma group, correlations between the NSE serum value and different facial fracture sites were also assessed. Results: The NSE serum level (mean ± SD, ng/ml) in the 48 patients with maxillofacial fractures and mild TBI was 13.12 ± 9.68, significantly higher than that measured in the healthy control group (7.72 ± 1.82, p

Introduction. Metastatic bone disease represents a systemic pathology that heavily affects the quality of life of oncologic patients causing pain and functional disability. Methodology. We present the case of a patient with a history of renal cell cancer presenting pathologic fractures of both humeri and proximal right radius. Results. After a careful multidisciplinary approach, an adjuvant anticancer therapy and a photodynamic bone stabilization procedure were performed with a minimally invasive technique aiming to minimize pain and local disease progression, while restoring functional autonomy and improving the patient’s quality of life. Electrochemotherapy was delivered on the lytic bone lesions with extraskeletal involvement of the proximal left humerus and the proximal right radius, and then polymeric bone stabilization was performed on both humeri. At two months of follow-up, the patient presented satisfactory functional scores (MSTS score: 12/30 bilaterally; DASH scores: 46.7/100 for the right side and 48.3/100 for the left one), and pain was well controlled with opioid analgesics. Radiographs showed good results in terms of ossification of lytic bone lesions and durability of polymeric stabilization. At four months of follow-up, the patient reported a stable clinical scenario. Six months after surgery, due to extremely poor prognosis after the progression of primary disease, the patient was referred to palliative care and died shortly thereafter. Conclusion. Over the last decade, the management of metastatic bone disease has changed. Low-toxicity and minimally invasive procedures such as electrochemotherapy and polymeric bone stabilization might be performed concomitantly in selected patients, as an alternative to radiation therapy and to more demanding surgical procedures such as plating and adjuvant cementing.

Purpose: the evaluation of body image perception, pain coping strategies, and dream content, together with phantom limb and telescoping phenomena in patients with sarcoma who underwent surgery for limb amputation. Material and Methods: consecutive outpatients were evaluated at T0 (within 3 weeks after surgery) and T1 (4–6 months after surgery) as follows: demographic and clinical data collection; the Groningen Questionnaire Problems after Arm Amputation; the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory; the Body Image Concern Inventory, a clinical trial to identify telescoping; and a weekly diary of dreams. Dream contents were coded according to the Hall and Van de Castle coding system. Results: Twenty patients completed the study (15 males and 5 females, mean age: 53.9 ± 24.6, education: 7.8 ± 3.4). All subjects experienced phantom limb and 35% of them experienced telescoping soon after surgery, and 25% still after 4–6 months. Both at T0 and T1, that half of the subjects reported dreams about still having their missing limbs. At T1 the patients’ perceptions of being able to deal with problems were lower, and pain and its interference in everyday life were higher yet associated with significant engagement in everyday activities and an overall good mood. The dream content analysis highlighted that males were less worried about health problems soon after amputation, and women showed more initial difficulties that seemed to be resolved after 4–6 months after surgery. Conclusions: The dream content analysis may improve clinicians’ ability to support their patients during their therapeutic course.

Background: Poor oral health is highly prevalent among elderlies and may impact quality of life of elderly people. In this scenario, oral health has been often linked to general health and chronic disorders, including distinct features of frailty. The aim of the present umbrella review of systematic reviews was to assess the scientific literature on the correlation between oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) and elderly to present a multidisciplinary approach to these complex patients., Methods: We performed a literature search of the databases Pub-Med/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database electronic databases. Two independent reviewers performed the literature research from the inception to 25th November 2023 and screened the studies for eligibility., Results: The search resulted in a total of 676 results eligible articles. After removal of duplicates and full-text screening, a total of 3 systematic reviews were considered to meet the inclusion criteria and were included for this review., Conclusions: Frailty is very common in elderly such as a poor oral health. In this scenario, malnutrition and bad lifestyle habits may affect not only the determinism of many systemic non-communicable diseases but also oral health quality. Taken together, the findings of this umbrella review of systematic reviews showed a strict correlation between the frailty, typical condition of ageing people, and a poor OHRQoL. Therefore, it is mandatory to implement the oral health prevention with specific protocols of oral rehabilitation to improve the OHRQoL in elderly.

This study evaluated patient's perception of recovery following surgical removal of mandibular third molars (SRM3s) including analyze of potential risk factors associated with impaired convalescent. Patient related parameters combined with preoperative questionnaires including Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, Oral Health Impact Profile-14, and Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth index were correlated with questionnaires assessing pain, swelling, trismus, sick leave, social and working isolation, physical appearance, eating and speaking ability, diet variations, sleep impairment, impaired sensation of the lip, chin, and tongue, one month following SRM3s. Totally, 412 patients (223 females, 189 males) with mean age of 29.4 years were included. Treatment satisfaction and willingness to undergo similar surgery were reported by 92% and 95%, although 21% reported that the surgery and postoperative period had been worse than expected. Mean days with pain, sick leave, and swelling were 3.6, 2.1, and 3.6, respectively. Preoperative symptoms, dental anxiety level, and prolonged surgical time were associated with increased pain and swelling (P < 0.05). Pell and Gregory classification (I-IIIC) were associated with impaired sensation of the lower lip and chin (P < 0.05). Consequently, results from this study improve the surgeon's ability to predict parameters that predisposed to impaired recovery and neurosensory disturbances following SRM3s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Anatomage Table is a modern device characterized by virtual reality functionality that may be used to enhance the teaching of human anatomy to medical and allied health students. The purpose of the present study was to use the virtual dissection table (3D Anatomage) as an additional tool for education and information in cases of metastases to the oral region., Materials and Methods: The hospital database of Vercelli Hospital, Vercelli, Italy, was searched for metastases to the oral region. DICOM data of Computed tomography scans were retrieved and uploaded in the Anatomage Table device. The workstation was used to obtain images of the body surface, "dissection cuts," or "vascular reconstructions," modifying the filters., Results: The reconstructed images of three cases of metastases to the oral region from pulmonary adenocarcinoma, pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma, and breast ductal infiltrative adenocarcinoma were produced and presented. Different filters were used., Discussion: The use of Anatomage Table, a touch interactive anatomy virtual dissection table used in anatomy education, thanks to the application of different filters, may represent a promising resource both for patients and students., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Both non-rapid eye movements and rapid eye movements sleep facilitate the strengthening of newly encoded memory traces, and dream content reflects this process. Numerous studies evaluated the impact of diseases on dream content, with particular reference to cancer, and reported the presence of issues related to death, negative emotions, pain and illness. This study investigates death and illness experiences in 13 consecutive patients with sarcoma compared to paired controls, early after diagnosis, evaluating dream contents, fear of death, mood and anxiety, distress, and severity of disease perception (perceived and communicated). Ten patients and 10 controls completed the study. Dream contents were significantly different between patients and normative data (DreamSat) and patients and controls (higher presence of negative emotions, low familiar settings and characters and no success involving the dreamer). Illness and death were present in 57% of patients’ dreams (0% among controls), but no differences emerged between patients and controls in regard to anxiety and depression, distress and fear of death, even if the severity of illness was correctly perceived. The appearance of emotional elements in dreams and the absence of conscious verbalization of distress and/or depressive or anxious symptoms by patients could be ascribed to the time required for mnestic elaboration (construction/elaboration phase) during sleep.

Several bone grafts are available for clinical use, each with their own peculiar biological and mechanical properties. A new bone graft was obtained by combining mineral structures from natural bovine bones with bioresorbable polymers and cellular nutrients. The study aims to evaluate the clinical, biological and structural properties of this bone graft and its reliability in orthopedic oncology. 23 adult patients (age range 18–85 years) were treated between October 2016 and December 2018; the oncologicdiagnoses were heterogeneous. After surgical curettage and bone grafting, a clinical-radiological follow up was conducted. Radiographs were used to evaluate graft integration according to the usual bone healing and oncologic follow up. Local complications (infection, local recurrence, wound dehiscence, fracture or early reabsorption) were evaluated. The mean followup was of 18.34 ± 4.83 months. No fracture or infection occurred. One case of patellar Giant Cell Tumor (GCT) and one of proximal tibia low-grade chondrosarcoma recurred after about one year. Two wound dehiscences occurred (one required a local flap). Follow-up X-rays showed good to excellent graft integration in most patients (20 out of 21). The investigated graft has a mechanical and structural function that can allow early weight-bearing and avoid a preventive bone fixation (only needed in four patients in this series). The graft blocks are different for shapes and dimensions, but they can be customized by the producer or sawcut by the surgeon in the operating theatre to fit the residual bone cavity. The complication rate was low, and a rapid integration was observed with no inflammatory reaction in the surrounding tissues. Further studies are mandatory to confirm these promising results.

The objectives of this study were to compare platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from patients with different concentrations of platelets and to assess the influence of these PRP preparations on human osteoblast (hOB) activity. In the literature, growth factors released by activated platelets have been considered responsible for the active role of PRP on bone regeneration but no specific role has been attributed to lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) as a possible effector of biological responses. In this study, patients were grouped into either group A (poor in platelets) or group B (rich in platelets). Clots from PRP fraction 2 (F2-clots), obtained with CaCl2 activation of PRP from the two groups, were compared macroscopically and microscopically and for their mechanical properties before testing their activity on the proliferation and migration of hOB. LPA was quantified before and after PRP fractioning and activation. The fibrin network of F2-clots from patients with a lower platelet concentration had an organized structure with large and distinct fibers while F2-clots from patients in group B revealed a similar structure to those in group A but with a slight increase in density. ELISA results showed a significantly higher plasma level of LPA in patients with a higher platelet concentration (group B) in comparison to those in group A (p < 0.05). This different concentration was evidenced in PRP but not in the clots. Depending on the number of platelets in patient’s blood, a PRP-clot with higher or lower mechanical properties can be obtained. The higher level of LPA in PRP from patients richer in platelets should be considered as responsible for the higher hOB activity in bone regeneration.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of half-coverage helmet use in motorcycle accidents and to investigate the difference in neuron-specific enolase serum levels in helmeted and unhelmeted person who had sustained maxillofacial fractures during motorcycle accidents. A total of 48 subjects (22 helmeted and 26 unhelmeted) sustained maxillofacial fractures were divided into three parts: upper, middle, and lower facial. All patients were scored using the Glasgow Coma Scale upon arrival at the hospital. The most prevalent maxillofacial fracture site in helmeted group was the mid-face (40.9%) and the upper-middle-lower face (26.9%) in unhelmeted group. There was no statistical significant difference between neuron-specific enolase serum levels in helmeted group (11.52 mg/ml) compared to unhelmeted group (14.49 ng/ml) (p > 0.05). Half-coverage helmets provided motorcyclists with only limited protection in the head and facial areas. Unhelmeted motorcycle riders sustained comparable injuries compared to half-coverage helmet users.