Marcelo Ferraro Bezerra

Biomechanical analysis of titanium plate systems in mandibular condyle fractures: a systematized literature review

PURPOSE To conduct a systematized review of the literature about the main methodologies used to evaluate the biomechanical fixation systems with titanium plates in fractures of the mandibular condyle. METHODS A systematized review of literature was performed in the electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, LILACS and MEDLINE without restriction of the publication date. The eligibility criteria were laboratory studies involving mandibular condyle fractures, studies using titanium plates, biomechanical studies, in vitro and computational studies involving the finite element method (FEM). RESULTS Eleven articles that met the eligibility criteria were selected, including seven articles involving in vitro studies and four studies with biomechanical analysis by using FEM. CONCLUSION Although few articles have used the finite element method, the results of in vitro studies were similar to those found in computational studies, regarding to the stable use of two titanium miniplates.

Assessment of the oral and maxillofacial surgery service in a teaching hospital in Brazil.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to determine an epidemiologic profile of the patients hospitalized and/or operated on by an oral and maxillofacial surgery service in Brazil. Materials and Methods:A retrospective and descriptive epidemiologic survey of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service from Saint Lucas Hospital at the Pontifical Catholic University, Porto Alegre, Brazil, from January 2000 to December 2005, was performed. Data related to the number, sex, age, service year, as well as surgical modalities performed, instituted treatments, and length of stay, were collected from the hospitals handbooks. Results:A total of 1117 patients were attended during the 6 years of study, with a decreasing tendency throughout the years (P = 0.022). There was female predominance (54%), between 10 and 40 years old, and attended via public health system (56%). Among surgical modalities performed, dentoalveolar surgery was the most prevalent (22.9%), followed by the orthognathic surgeries (21.4%), facial fractures (18%), pathologic condition surgeries (16.7%), and dental implants and grafts (13.7%). Surgeries of patients with cleft lip and/or palate (3.4%), treatment of maxillofacial infections (2.95%), and temporomandibular joint surgeries (1%) were less frequent. Conclusions:The information presented in this research elicited data to clarify the type of attendance performed by the service, being a cornerstone for planning, organization, and attention improvement of these patients. In addition, this information can compare with data among services, specialty acting fields, as well as, its impact in hospital activities.

Chondrolipoma of the posterior tongue.

Chondrolipomas are rare benign mesenchymal tumors characterized by the proliferation of mature adipocytes associated with variable amounts of mature cartilaginous tissue. To our knowledge, only 11 cases of chondrolipoma affecting the oral cavity have been published in the English-language literature (PubMed database), and no cases of this condition up to 20 years of complaint duration have been reported. Thus, this article describes an interesting and atypical case of a 68-year-old woman who presented an asymptomatic slow-growing swelling on the posterior dorsal surface of the tongue. In addition, we reviewed the international literature from 1976 to 2009.

Dental trauma: knowledge and attitudes of community health workers.

Background The international literature emphasizes the importance of evaluating the knowledge of different groups such as teachers, students, dentists, physicians, parents, and athletes regarding dental injuries. In Brazil, community health workers are professionals who can reach a wide variety of people and who have a marked influence on prevention and health promotion strategies. The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of community health workers regarding dental trauma. Methods A questionnaire consisting of 19 questions divided into 3 parts was applied: demographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes. Data from 206 respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. Results Approximately 28% of the participants reported to have been called to assist individuals with dental trauma. Only 42 subjects had received education on dental injuries, with 34 of them being instructed by a dentist. In cases of tooth avulsion, only 1.9% of the health workers reported that they would search for the tooth and reimplant it. The most frequently indicated storage media for avulsed teeth were nonphysiological media (69.42%). Conclusions The educational level of the community health workers somehow influenced their knowledge (P < 0.001) and attitude (P = 0.016) regarding dental injuries. Educational programs for this group are needed to improve the management of traumatic dental injuries.

Late displacement of a dental implant into maxillary sinus

maxilla. She was referred to this clinic since one of thethree implants disappeared during casting. CT scan showedwhat appeared to be a dental implant located posteriorly inferiorly inside of the maxillary sinus (Fig. 1A---C). The from the sinus demonstrated important alterations; density was compatible with acute sinusitis, corroborat- the clinical findings, which included airway obstruction moderate facial pain. There was no evidence of oro- fistula. After antibiotic therapy for acute sinusitis, dental implant was removed through a CL approach. local anesthesia, a small surgical incision was made thebuccal sulcus. The anterior bony wall of sinus wasexposed, and an access was made with a carbide round bur(Fig. 1D). The sinus mucosa around the dental implant wasresected, followed by intense cleaning. Finally, the anteriorwall of maxillary sinus was reconstructed using a titaniummesh, which was fixated by monocortical screws (Fig. 1E).The patient has been followed up for 32 months, with nocomplications.