Bacterial Colonization of the Condyle in Patients with Advanced Mandibular Osteoradionecrosis: Analysis of Hemimandibulectomy Specimens

Advanced mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN) sometimes requires extended resection (e.g., hemimandibulectomy). Bacterial infection contributes to ORN pathogenesis. To control infection and determine the extent of debridement required, an understanding of bacterial spread within sites of mandibular ORN is important. The current study used a histopathological approach to assess bacterial colonization in the mandibular condyle and elucidate possible paths of bacterial spread towards the mandibular condyle. Four hemimandibulectomy specimens were selected. Areas of bone destruction were macroscopically assessed and confirmed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Bacterial presence within mandibular condyle was confirmed with Gram staining. Bone exposure was observed in the molar area in all specimens. Macroscopic bone destruction was apparent especially near the medial side of the cortical wall. Gram staining revealed bacterial colonization of the mandibular condyle in three of the four specimens. In conclusion, bacteria tended to spread posteriorly and through the medial side of the mandibular cortical wall. In patients with advanced ORN, the potential for bacterial colonization of the mandibular condyle should be considered during treatment.

Clinical Application of Artificial Dermis and Autologous Skin in Repairing Skin and Soft Tissue Defects of Hands and Feet with Bone Exposure Injuries

Patients with skin and soft tissue defects are very common. Mild trauma often causes mild skin damage, while severe injuries are often accompanied by bone and tendon exposure, which brings great pain to patients. For the defect of skin and soft tissue, the traditional treatment methods are mostly medium or full-thickness skin or skin flap transplantation. These methods are effective in wound repair, but there are still many problems. In recent years, with the improvement of tissue engineering technology, the use of artificial skin to repair various skin wounds is gradually becoming clinical, and the key technology of skin tissue engineering lies in the development of dermal substitutes. The appearance of artificial dermis not only solves the shortage of autologous skin source but also makes the operation simple and easy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical effect of artificial dermis combined with autologous skin grafts in repairing hand and foot skin and soft tissue defects with bone exposure. The results show that the use of artificial dermis combined with autogenous blade thick skin to treat patients with hand and foot soft tissue injury with bone exposure has a good clinical effect, and the skin is alive and has fewer complications, which is worthy of promotion.

Composite Flap - Serratus Anterior with Rib Component – a Foot Salvage Solution after a Severe Crush Injury

Severe work accidents are one of the most frequent causes for physical disability in adults, alongside car accidents and war/gunshot injuries. In this article we present the case of a severe crush injury of the left foot that occurred in a 31 year-old patient who was involved in a work accident. After an unsuccessful tissue coverage using local flaps, the salvage solution was that of a composite free flap, aiming not only to cover, but also to restore stability to the foot. The treatment of choice was the serratus anterior muscle harvested together with osseous component (8th rib). The healing was difficult, due to wound dehiscence with bone exposure over a small area, but the problem was addressed using FGF (fibroblast growth factor) sponges, which enabled granulation and complete wound closure. The outcome of the case was favourable, gait being possible without any deficiency. For the cosmetic and functional reasons, the patient suffered one last surgical procedure to debulk the dorsal aspect of the foot. The final result was more than satisfactory, the patient being totally rehabilitated and socially and professionally reintegrated.

Fluorescence-guided Surgery of Osteoradionecrosis of the Jaw: A Retrospective Study

BackgroundOsteoradionecrosis of the jaw (ORNJ) is one of the most severe head and neck complications in patients treated with radiotherapy (RT), and it is one of the diseases difficult to manage. The goal of the treatment is to achieve mucosal healing or suppress ORNJ progression. Currently, surgical removal of the necrotic bone is an effective management approach for advanced stages of ORNJ. This study aimed to identify the outcomes of fluorescence-guided surgery for ORNJ. MethodsNineteen ORNJ lesions in 15 hospitalized patients received fluorescence-guided surgery. Demographics, comorbidities, local preceding event, location, ORNJ stage, and treatment outcomes were retrospectively reviewed with a median follow-up period of 12 months.ResultsThe first 12 lesions (63%) were operated under tetracycline fluorescence, and 7 lesions (37%) were operated under auto-fluorescence. Overall, 4 lesions (21%) achieved complete mucosal healing, 8 lesions (42%) showed partial mucosal healing with bone exposure and no signs or symptoms of inflammation, and 7 lesions (37%) were progressive. The results showed that either healing or ORNJ stabilization was achieved in 63% of the lesions (n = 12). No significant association was observed between healing and the fluorescence technique.ConclusionFluorescence-guided surgery can be beneficial in curing or stabilizing ORNJ. Within the study limitations, autofluorescence-guided surgery seems to be as effective as tetracycline fluorescence-guided surgery for management of ORNJ. Trial registration: not applicable

Challenges of an unusual Osteoradionecrosis of the jaws: case report

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is the most worrying radiotherapy late complication. It is a condition in which the irradiated bone becomes devitalized and exposed through fistulas in the skin or mucosa. It remains without healing for a period of at least three months. Despite being a well-known entity to the professionals who treat neoplasms of the head and neck, the disease has many controversies. From its classifications to its best treatment plan. Its main signs and symptoms are pain, drainage of secretion, fistulas, ulcers of the oral mucosa, bone exposure, bone necrosis, and the surrounding soft tissue. This study aims to report a clinical case of a patient with ORN in the jaw treated at Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health and the General Roberto Santos Hospital. A 60-year-old-male patient with a malignant neoplasm in the tonsil region, was diagnosed with ORN in mandible region, three years after radiotherapy. The treatment proposal was conservative (ozone therapy, hyperbaric oxygen and chlorexidine mouth rinse) associated with surgical debridement, with good results that involved the patient’s rehabilitation. It is concluded that the association of conservative therapies with surgery demonstrated satisfactory results and improving the quality of life of cancer patients with ORN.

Ozone used as a supportive therapy for gingival tissue repair after facial trauma: Report of two cases

The application of ozone as a supportive therapy has been widely discussed. Ozone has antimicrobial, antioxidant, and healing properties. This study presents two cases of ozone application as a supportive therapy for gingival tissue repair after facial trauma. In both cases, patients suffered extensive lacerations with bone exposure. Tissues were repositioned and sutured; however, ischemia was observed during follow-up with potential tissue necrosis. Each patient received ozone gas with a concentration of 4 μg/ml. Then, the wound was irrigated with 40 mL of ozonated water at a final concentration of 8 μg/ml. The procedure was held weekly until clinical improvement. A significant improvement was observed in ischemia without evolution to necrosis or infection, allowing gingival tissue preservation. Ozone showed a beneficial effect in the recovery of gingiva and alveolar mucosa wounds after extensive trauma.

Risk factors associated with infection recurrence of posttraumatic osteomyelitis treated with Ilizarov bone transport technique—a retrospective study of 149 cases

Background Post-traumatic tibial osteomyelitis is considered as complex clinical problem due to its unique characteristics such as prolonged course, multi-staged treatment and high recurrence rate. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the causes and risk factors associated with infection recurrence of tibial osteomyelitis treated with Ilizarov technique. Methods From January 2011 to January 2019, a total of 149 patients with post-traumatic tibial osteomyelitis treated with Ilizarov bone transport technique were included in this study. Demographic and clinical data were collected and analyzed. Univariate analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the factors that may affect the recurrence or reinfection of post-traumatic tibial osteomyelitis after treated with Ilizarov bone transport technique. Results All included patients were successfully followed up with an average of 37.5 month (18–78 month), among them, 17 patients (11.4%) occurred with recurrence or reinfection of tibial osteomyelitis in which 2 cases were in distraction area and 15 cases in docking site. Among them, 5 patients were treated successfully with appropriate intravenous antibiotic, the remaining 12 patients were intervened by surgical debridement or bone grafting after debridement. Univariate analysis showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, bone exposure, number of previous operations (> 3 times), blood transfusion during bone transport surgery, course of osteomyelitis > 3 months, diabetes was associated with recurrence or reinfection of postoperative tibial osteomyelitis. According to the results of logistic regression analysis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, bone exposure, and the number of previous operations (> 3 times) are risk factors for recurrence or reinfection of posttraumatic tibial osteomyelitis treated with Ilizarov bone transport technique, with odds ratios (OR) of 6.055, 7.413, and 1.753, respectively. Conclusion The number of previous operations (> 3 times), bone exposure, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection are risk factors for infection recurrence of posttraumatic tibial osteomyelitis treated with Ilizarov bone transport technique.

A Comparison of the Clinical and Radiological Extent of Denosumab (Xgeva®) Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: A Retrospective Study

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a severe side effect of antiresorptive medication. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of denosumab-related osteonecrosis of the jaw and to compare the clinical and radiological extent of osteonecrosis. A retrospective study of patients who received Xgeva® at the Institut de Cancérologie de Lorraine (ICL) was performed. Patients for whom clinical and radiological (CBCT) data were available were divided into two groups: “exposed” for patients with bone exposure and “fistula” when only a fistula through which the bone could be probed was observed. The difference between clinical and radiological extent was assessed. The p-value was set at 0.05, and a total of 246 patients were included. The cumulative incidence of osteonecrosis was 0.9% at 6 months, 7% at 12 months, and 15% from 24 months. The clinical extent of MRONJ was significantly less than their radiological extent: in the “exposed” group, 17 areas (45%) were less extensive clinically than radiologically (p < 0.001) and respectively 6 (67%) for the “fistula” group (p < 0.031). It would seem that a CBCT is essential to know the real extent of MRONJ. Thus, it would seem interesting to systematically perform a CBCT during the diagnosis of MRONJ, exploring the entire affected dental arch.

Use of the Spare-Part Strategy to Reconstruct the External Auditory Canal After Subtotal Auriculectomy for Basal Cell Carcinoma

After removal of an infiltrative BCC of the auditory meatus, a soft tissue defect of the temporal-mastoid area with bone exposure, needed reconstruction. Several options have been taken into account and a simple yet effective solution has been found following the spare-parts principle. The ear lobe, preserved during cancer removal, was split and used as a thin skin flap. Adequate coverage of the bone exposure and resurfacing of the external auditory canal was obtained with minimal donor site morbidity and a short surgery in a fragile patient with several comorbidities. The spare-parts strategy can provide successful solution to difficult reconstructive cases regardless of the anatomical area.