• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.510-516
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• 2022

Background Surgical correction of bilateral cleft lip deformities remains one of the most challenging areas in facial plastic surgery. Many surgical techniques and conservative devices have been offered for the early management of bilateral cleft lip in infants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of lip adhesion on the lip and nose of patients with bilateral cleft lip. Methods A retrospective review of 13 patients with bilateral cleft lip was performed and compared with age-matched noncleft children. Patients underwent lip adhesion at a mean age of 2.8 months, and cheiloplasty at 6.6 months of age using a modification the Mulliken method. Secondary rhinoplasty was performed at the age of 6 in 13 patients. The surgical results were analyzed using photographic records obtained at the age of 1 and 7 years. Twelve length measurements and one angle measurement were obtained. Results All measurements were not statistically different from those of the noncleft age-matched control group at the age of 1. At 7 years of age, upper lip height and vermilion mucosal height were shorter (p < 0.05) than in the control group. Nasal tip protrusion and the nasolabial angle were greater (p < 0.05) than in the control group. Conclusion Lip adhesion followed by secondary rhinoplasty resulted in an acceptable lip and nasal appearance. Although nasoalveolar molding is now widely used, lip adhesion can be an appropriate alternative if an orthodontist is not available due to geographical or economic constraints.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2022

Background: There have been many reports of nasal bone fractures in adults, but there are few clinical reports of them in adolescents, although adolescence is the main growth period of the nasal bone. In addition, previous studies have tended to classify and describe child and adolescent nasal fractures in the same category. The aim of this study was to identify the clinical aspects of nasal fractures in adolescents, and to evaluate the characteristics of nasal fractures in the growth period. Methods: Our institution's database was reviewed to extract data on adolescent patients between the age of 13 to 18 who had isolated nasal bone fractures from March 2012 to February 2020. The study excluded patients with other facial fractures, previous facial fractures, or congenital deformities. Results: This study included 243 boys and 26 girls. Interpersonal violence and sports-related accidents accounted for 85 and 79 cases, respectively. There were 128 frontal impact injuries and 132 lateral impact injuries, and 97 patients had accompanying septal fractures. An accompanying septal fracture was present in 36.06% of all patients, but in 51.20% of those who underwent surgery. Conclusion: The prevalence of adolescent nasal fractures was significantly higher in boys, to a greater extent than observed for pediatric or adult fractures. The main causes of fractures were interpersonal violence and sports-related accidents. An explanation for these results is that adolescent boys are more prone to have violent accidents or companionship with active sports than other age or sex groups, leading to substantially more fractures.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2022

Background Cleft lip and cleft palate are the most frequent congenital craniofacial deformities, with an incidence of approximately 1 per 700 people. Postoperative palatal fistula is one of the most significant long-term complications. This study investigated the incidence of postoperative palatal fistula and its predictive factors based on 25 years of experience at our hospital. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 636 consecutive palatal repairs performed between January 1996 and October 2020 by a single surgeon. Data from patients' medical records regarding cleft palate repair were analyzed. The preoperative extent of the cleft was evaluated using the Veau classification system, and the cleft palate repair technique was chosen according to the extent of the cleft. SPSS version 25.0 was used for all statistical analyses, and exploratory univariate associations were investigated using the t-test. Results Fistulas occurred in 20 of the 636 patients; thus, the incidence of palatal fistula was 3.1%. The most common fistula location was the hard palate (9/20, 45%), followed by the junction of the hard and soft palate (6/20, 30%) and the soft palate (5/20, 25%). The cleft palate repair technique significantly predicted the incidence of palatal fistula following cleft palate repair (P=0.042). Fistula incidence was significantly higher in patients who underwent surgery using the Furlow double-opposing Z-plasty technique (12.1%) than in cases where the Busan modification (3.0%) or two-flap technique (2.0%) was used. Conclusions The overall incidence of palatal fistulas was 3.1% in this study. Moreover, the technique of cleft palate repair predicted fistula incidence.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.42
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• pp.41.1-41.11
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• 2020

Background: Orthognathic surgery such as bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy (BSSRO) for the treatment of mandibular deformities is one of the most common procedures in maxillofacial operations that may lead to neurosensory disturbance. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on augmenting recovery of neurosensory disturbance of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) in patients who underwent BSSRO surgery. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted by two independent authors in PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar electronic databases. Besides, a manual search of all textbooks and relevant articles were conducted. Searches took place in August 2020 and were limited to published and peer-reviewed articles from 2000 to 2020. All analysis was performed using the comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) and the STATA MP (version:16) software. The weighted mean difference (WMD) using the inverse variance method and the standard mean difference (SMD) was considered for continuous variables. Results: Seventy-four papers were retrieved after removing duplicate studies and finally, eight studies were assessed for qualitative synthesis and five for meta-analysis. Totally, 94 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Based on the meta-analysis, it was shown that LLLT was not effective in a short interval (0 to 48 h) after surgery, but in a period of more than 1 month after surgery, the positive results of treatment can be observed strikingly. Also, LLLT side/group showed no significant difference in some aspects of neurosensory recovery such as thermal sensation compared to the placebo side/group. Conclusions: The meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials revealed that LLLT generally improves IAN sensory disturbance caused by BSSRO. Further high-quality clinical trials with longer follow-up periods and larger sample sizes are recommended.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.70-75
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• 2022

Background Fingertip injuries are very common; however, the reconstruction of volar pulp defects with nail bed defects is challenging in the absence of the amputated segment. We reconstructed fingertip amputations with nail bed defects using a new surgical approach: a subcutaneous flap and composite graft. Methods We treated 10 fingertip amputation patients without an amputated segment, with exposed distal phalangeal bone and full-thickness nail bed defects between February 2018 and December 2020. All patients underwent two-stage surgery: in the first stage, a subcutaneous flap was performed to cover the exposed distal phalanx, and in the second stage, a composite graft, consisting of nail bed, hyponychium, and volar pulp skin, was applied over the subcutaneous flap. Results All flaps survived and all composite grafts were successful. The wounds healed without any significant complications, including the donor site. The average follow-up duration was 11.2 months (range, 3-27 months). The new nail and the shape of the volar pulp were evaluated during follow-up. All patients were satisfied with their natural fingertip shapes and the new nails did not have any serious deformities. Conclusions A subcutaneous flap in combination with a composite graft fitting the shape of the defect could be another option for fingertip injuries without amputated segments.

• Journal of the Korean Burn Society
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.14-17
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• 2021

The nose is a complex three-dimensional structure and represents a major aesthetic focus of the face. As a gold standard for nasal soft tissue reconstruction, the 'forehead flap' provides reconstructive surgeons a robust pedicle and large amount of tissue to reconstruct almost any defect. However, during this process, some hair can be unintentionally introduced to the nose. Accordingly, laser hair removal is sometimes needed, but blood circulation and flap survival should be carefully monitored. Despite careful evaluation, a third-degree burn occurred in our patient that required eight weeks to heal. Here, we report on a burn resulting from epilation conducted 2 weeks after forehead flap for nasal reconstruction.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2022

Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS VI) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal disorder caused by the deficiency of arylsulfatase B due to mutations in the ARSB gene. Here, we report the case of a Korean female with a novel variant of MPS VI. A Korean female aged 5 years and 8 months, who is the only child of a healthy non-consanguineous Korean couple, presented at our hospital for severe short stature. She had a medical history of umbilical hernia and recurrent otitis media. Her symptoms included snoring and mouth breathing. Subtle dysmorphic features, including mild coarse face, joint contracture, hepatomegaly, and limited range of joint motion, were identified. Radiography revealed deformities, suggesting skeletal dysplasia. Growth hormone (GH) provocation tests revealed complete GH deficiency. Targeted exome sequencing revealed compound heterozygous mutations in the ARSB genes c.512G>A (p.Gly171Asp; a pathogenic variant inherited from her father) and c.1157C>T (p.Ser386Phe; a novel variant inherited from her mother in familial genetic testing). Quantitative tests revealed increased urine glycosaminoglycan (GAG) levels and decreased enzyme activity of arylsulfatase B. While on enzyme replacement therapy and GH therapy, her height increased drastically; her coarse face, joint contracture, snoring, and obstructive sleep apnea improved; urine GAG decreased; and left ventricular mass index was remarkably decreased. We report a novel variant-c.1157C>T (p.Ser386Phe)-of the ARSB gene in a patient with MPS VI; these findings will expand our knowledge of its clinical spectrum and molecular mechanisms.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.285-294
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• 2023

Porous ceramics are used in various industrial applications based on their physical properties, including isolation, storage, and thermal barrier properties. However, traditional manufacturing environments require additional steps to control artificial pores and limit deformities, because they rely on limited molding methods. To overcome this drawback, many studies have recently focused on fabricating porous structures using additive manufacturing techniques. In particular, the binder jet technology enables high porosity and various types of designs, and avoids the limitations of existing manufacturing processes. In this study, we investigated process optimization for manufacturing porous ceramic filters using the binder jet technology. In binder jet technology, the flowability of the powder used as the base material is an important factor, as well as compatibility with the binder in the process and for the final print. Flow agents and secondary binders were used to optimize the flowability and compatibility of the powders. In addition, the effects of the amount of added glass frit, and changes in sintering temperature on the microstructure, porosity and mechanical properties of the final printed product were investigated.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.334-341
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• 2023

Anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) injuries are the most common cause of ankle sprains. To ensure anatomically accurate surgery and ultrasound imaging of the ATFL, anatomical knowledge of the bony landmarks around the ATFL attachment to the distal fibula is required. The purpose of the present study was to anatomically investigate the ATFL attachment to the fibula with respect to bone morphology and attachment structures. First, we analyzed 36 feet using micro-computed tomography. After excluding 9 feet for deformities, the remaining 27 feet were used for chemically debrided bone analysis and macroscopic and histological observations. Ten feet of living specimens were observed using ultrasonography. We found that a bony ridge was present at the boundary between the attachments of the ATFL and calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) to the fibula. These two attachments could be distinguished based on a difference in fiber orientation. Histologically, the ATFL was attached to the anterodistal part of the fibula via fibrocartilage anterior to the bony ridge indicating the border with the CFL attachment. Using ultrasonography in living specimens, the bony ridge and hyperechoic fibrillar pattern of the ATFL could be visualized. We established that the bony ridge corresponded to the posterior margin of the ATFL attachment itself. The ridge was obvious, and the superior fibers of the ATFL have directly attached anteriorly to it. This bony ridge could become a valuable and easy-to-use landmark for ultrasound imaging of the ATFL attachment if combined with the identification of the fibrillar pattern of the ATFL.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.550-556
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• 2023

Blunt breast trauma occurs in 2% of blunt chest injuries. This study aimed to evaluate the evidence on breast reconstruction after blunt trauma associated with the use of a seat belt. Also, we describe the first case of breast reconstruction using the Ribeiro technique. In November 2022, a systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases was conducted. The literature was screened independently by two reviewers, and the data was extracted. Our search terms included breast, mammoplasty, blunt injury, and seat belts. In addition, we present the case of a woman with a left breast deformity and her reconstruction using the inferior Ribeiro flap technique. Six articles were included. All included studies were published between 2010 and 2021. The studies recruited seven patients. According to the Teo and Song classification, seven class 2b cases were reported. In five cases a breast reduction was performed in the deformed breast with different types of pedicles (three superomedial flaps, one lower flap, one superior flap). Only one case presented complications. The case here presented was a type 2b breast deformity in which the lower Ribeiro pedicle was used successfully without complications during follow-up. Until now there has been no consensus on reconstructive treatment due to the rarity of this entity. However, we must consider surgical treatment individually for each patient. We believe that the Ribeiro technique is a feasible and safe alternative in the treatment of posttraumatic breast deformities, offering very good long-term results.