Significance of Skull IX in Asian Paleoanthropology

Skull IX (Tjg-1993.05) was found in Sangiran, Central Java, in 1993, and is now stored at the Institute of Technology, Bandung. It is a remarkably complete fossil cranium of Homo erectus. It is one of the six H. erectus crania from the early Pleistocene of Java that preserves a nearly complete vault and is the third Javanese H. erectus crania with a substantial part of the facial skeleton preserved. After preliminary studies by late Prof. Sartono and other researchers, our team, led by Prof. Yahdi Zaim, had an opportunity to re-reconstruct and fully describe the specimen during 2008-2010. In this paper, I introduce how we corrected the distorted original reconstruction and summarize the specimen’s implications for the Homo erectus evolution in and outside Indonesia. Skull IX closely resembles Sangiran 17 and other Javanese H. erectus crania from the same stratigraphic level. The neurocranium of Skull IX is slightly smaller than the so-far-recorded smallest cranium from this zone, suggesting this individual was female. The face exhibits some “Asian” features, which highlights regional variation in Afro-Asian archaic members of Homo.

Case Report on Carcinoma on Hard Palate

Background: The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate made up of two bones of the facial skeleton, located on the roof of the mouth. The bones are the palatine process of the maxilla and the horizontal plate of the palatine bone. The hard palate spans the alveolar arch formed by the alveolar process that holds the upper teeth (when these are developed). If cancer is detected early, the overall 5-year survival rate for all persons is 85 percent. If cancer has progressed to other tissues or organs, as well as regional lymph nodes, the overall 5-year survival rate is 67%. Objective: Want to highlight the importance of primary prevention; education on risks of alcohol/tobacco use and oral hygiene. Secondary prevention; Early biopsy of any ulceration of the hard palate that does not regress with medical treatment. This would allow early diagnosis and minimal treatment with less morbidity and better survival chances. Case Presentation: A male of 58 yrs. old came with Pain in the mouth, difficulty in breathing, difficulty in mastication, difficulty in deglutition, balm application, change in voice tooth exfoliation, lack of appetite. Aggravates on mastication, difficulty in deglutition for 2 months, burning sensation on the consumption of spicy food for 2 months change in voice, nasal discharge, loss of appetite, weight loss, tooth exfoliation in the upper front region of jaw, and balm application (2-3episodes, 15 days back). All necessary investigations were carried out such as X-ray, MRI, CT scan, a biopsy of the tissue sample, and diagnosed Carcinoma on the Hard Palate. Treatment of this patient received antiemetic, analgesic, antibiotic, vitamin supplementary. Prognosis: After treatment, the patient shows great improvement. Conclusion: The therapeutic management for malignant tumors of the hard palate is essentially surgical, with or without postoperative radiotherapy, discussed on a case-by-case basis. The survival rate depends on several factors, including early diagnosis, histological characteristics and appropriate management. When ca of the palate is detected primary, the management is very effective.

Current Trends in the Development and Use of Personalized Implants: Engineering Concepts and Regulation Perspectives for the Contemporary Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

The recently adopted Medical Device Regulation (MDR) has finally entered into force on 26 May 2021. As innovation and especially the advent of customized prostheses has deeply modified many surgical procedures in our discipline, it is imperative for the contemporary surgeon to become aware of the impact that the MDR will have on many aspects, including the choice of the manufacturer, the evaluation of the devices, point-of-care 3D printing labs, and medical software. In this paper, the authors tried to identify the cultural gaps in clinical practice that the MDR is supposed to fill. To achieve this purpose, a task force of experts was reunited, including CMF surgeons with direct expertise in medical software and 3D printing, mechanical and material engineers, facing the topic of the MDR from a multidimensional perspective. In this article, surgeons and engineers review many crucial aspects concerning the points of the regulation that mostly affect the field of implantable devices for the cranio-maxillo-facial skeleton. The result of interdisciplinary research is a paper aiming to provide surgeons with the knowledge on the fundamental processes of additive manufacturing, increasing the clinician’s awareness on the evaluation of a customized implant before surgery and on the underlying regulatory framework.

RECURRENCE OF ANEURYSMAL BONE CYST OF THE MANDIBLE: A CASE REPORT

Аneurysmal bone cysts are benign osteolytic lesions with rapid growth, thin walls containing numerous blood-filled cavities. They occur mainly in the pediatric population but are rarely diagnosed in the facial skeleton. Although benign, the condition can be locally aggressive and cause significant weakening of the affected bone structure. This case report presents a 14-year-old boy with Burkitt's tumor (Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), previously diagnosed with an aneurysmal bone cyst a year ago. He was admitted for treatment at the Clinic of Maxillo-Facial Surgery of the University Hospital "St. George" Plovdiv due to pain and swelling in the left molar area of the mandibula, dating from 2 days. A recurrence of an aneurysmal bone cyst measuring 55/25 mm, which does not require resection of the mandible, was found. After a decision for surgical removal of the formation, under general anesthesia, and preparation of a three-cornered mucoperiosteal flap, the mandibular bone, which is lysed and thinned by the formation, was trepanned. The roots of the affected teeth were resected, and the formation was extirpated. A gauze drain was placed in the formed cavity, and the wound was sutured. Drug therapy included Cefotaxime 2x1.0 - 10 days, starting 3 days before surgery, and Paracetamol 2x1 – 3 days, 2 days before and 1 day after surgery. Prophylactic examinations were scheduled on day 3, 7, 10, 15 after the operation, as well as 3, 6, and 12 months post-op, due to the recurrent nature of the formation.