A movable finger Prosthesis

I cried that I had no rings, till I saw someone who had no fingers. Whether the traumatic loss of limbs or fingers is due to war, congenital malformations, systemic diseases (diabetes), industrial, domestic or vehicular accident, or amputation, it leaves the individual with a long-lasting emotional scar from the disfigurement. We as prosthodontists have the skillset to change a patient’s life by making a prosthesis that would enhance a patients’ physical and psychological well-being. Through time, emphasis has been made on replacing a lost digit for aesthetic purposes but function is equally important, if not more. Movement of a finger using the movement of the patient’s own hand may provide the patient with adequate movement to carry out his or her daily activities. In this age of digitalization, the use of impression materials is slowly but steadily reducing. The movable finger prosthesis described in this article eliminates the need for using any impression material as well as shows the use of 3D printing to make a functional prosthesis.

Your contribution is a further step closer to the development of our field!

It has been more than a year since the first issue of the International Journal of Maxillofacial Prosthetics (iJMP) was published. During this period, the editorial board has been working hard towards the aim of bridging the gap in various aspects of maxillofacial prosthetics and its related fields by provides a unique platform for all maxillofacial prosthetic publications. Although the number of articles in maxillofacial prosthetics has rapidly increased in the last ten years in various prosthodontic journals, many researchers are still not aware that there is a new journal dedicated to our field. To counter this issue, iJMP has worked from the beginning to have international renowned experts in various specialities of maxillofacial prosthetic rehabilitation to serve on its advisory board. The editorial board also includes many young maxillofacial prosthetic professionals and researchers who are enthusiastic to bring the journal up to the highest standards of scholarly publishing.

Maxillofacial rehabilitation in a case of osteoradionecrosis refractory to hyperbaric oxygen treatments

This clinical report describes a multidisciplinary approach in maxillofacial rehabilitation of a 61-year-old Caucasian male diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue. Following external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy and a left neck dissection, the patient presented with bilateral osteoradionecrosis of the mandibular rami refractory to hyperbaric oxygen treatment. A subtotal mandibulectomy with a fibula free flap osteocutaneous reconstruction was subsequently performed. Prosthodontic planning and treatment considerations in a case of osteoradionecrosis refractory to hyperbaric oxygen with a reconstructed mandible is presented in this case report. (Int J Maxillofac Prosthetics 2019;1:9-13)

Interactive visualization of three-dimensional maxillofacial prosthetic data in portable document format: A potential new approach for scientific publications

Rendering three-dimensional (3D) structures of maxillofacial prosthetics within a single two-dimensional (2D) document offers great opportunities for the readers of scientific publications to interactively visualize these structures with in-depth 3D perception. The capabilities of Portable document format (PDF) have not yet been fully utilized in maxillofacial prosthetics publications especially when considering that PDF is the most common file format for publishing articles. This article briefly reviews the application of PDF in the visualization of 3D data within scientific publications. It also introduces an effective interactive visualization approach by embedding 3D data into PDF file for journal publications and discuss its impact on maxillofacial prosthetic publications. It emphasizes on the usage of this electronic document, when used to its full potential, could be used to illustrate embedded 3D interactive maxillofacial prosthetic data, which can be viewed and manipulated by the reader without the need for specific 3D viewing softwares. Thus, this article compiles the capabilities of PDF which is beyond just an electronic documentation exchange and viewing static 2D structures in scientific publications. (Int J Maxillofac Prosthetics 2019;1:2-8)

Comparison of speech and resonance outcomes across three methods of treatment for maxillary defects

Purpose: Treatment of maxillary defects, whether by prosthetic rehabilitation or surgical reconstruction, should aim to restore speech function and resonance balance. With the advent of technology and changing clinical practices related to maxillary defect management, speech outcomes need to be evaluated and compared in order to determine efficacy of differing approaches. Materials and Methods: One hundred and four patients across three treatment groups for maxillary defects were included: 38 patients who were treated with maxillary obturators (OBT group), 39 patients who were treated with a standard fibular free flap reconstruction that did not involve digital planning of the reconstruction (Standard group) and 27 patients who were reconstructed using a digitally planned surgical design and simulation fibular free flap reconstruction (SDS group). Speech assessments were completed to assess word and sentence intelligibility, resonance balance and aeromechanical orifice estimation among these three groups. Assessments included the Computerized Assessment of Intelligibility of Dysarthric Speech (C-AIDS), nasalance scores via the Nasometer and palatopharyngeal orifice area via the PERCI-SARS. Results: Significant differences were found in word intelligibility between the SDS and the Standard groups (p =.035) and on nasalance scores between the SDS and the OBT groups (p=.027). Conclusions: Patients treated with digital reconstruction (SDS) had better speech outcomes than the other two treatment groups, whose mean scores on certain speech variables were not within normal limits. Speech outcomes in the SDS group were consistently within the normal range across all measured speech variables.