Tissue expansion, is a simple method of breast reconstruction. Method. A prospective study of 27 patients treated over a 43 month period is described. At the first stage the expander is inserted in the dual plane, and the medial pectoral nerve is divided. The tissue expander is over-expanded. Second stage: a de-epithelialized vertical triangle is used to aid anterior projection, an inframammary...

OBJECTIVES We developed a prosthesis for open pleurostomy cases where pulmonary decortication is not indicated, or where post-pneumonectomy space infection occurs. The open pleural window procedure not only creates a large hole in the chest wall that is shocking to patients, also results in a permanent deformation of the thorax. prosthesis for open pleurostomy is a self-retained silicone tube t...

Osseointegrated titanium implants to the cranial skeleton for retention of facial prostheses have proven to be a reliable replacement for adhesive systems. However, improper placement of the implants can jeopardize prosthetic outcomes, and long-term success of an implant-retained prosthesis. Three-dimensional (3D) computer imaging, virtual planning, and 3D printing have become accepted componen...

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are extremely rare tumors arising in peripheral nerves. Only 17 cases involving the trigeminal nerve have ever been reported. These tumors have a very poor prognosis and very high rates of recurrence and metastases. Their recommended treatment involves complete tumor resection followed by radiation. This can be problematic in the head and neck region. We...

The prosthetic fit of a thimble-type esthetic silicone prosthesis was retrospectively reviewed in 29 patients who were fitted following distal finger amputations. The aim was to correlate prosthetic fit with the magnitudes of circumference reduction in the finger models used to produce the prostheses and to identify the optimum reduction for the best outcome. A good fit is achieved primarily by...

PURPOSE To study the biomechanical characteristics (percent stretch, stiffness, and ultimate load) of 2 tendon-prosthesis techniques used to connect the proximal tendon stump to silicone active tendon implants used in reconstruction of flexor tendons. METHODS We evaluated percent stretch following cyclic loading and at failure, stiffness during load to failure, and ultimate load of 16 tendon-...

The purpose of the present paper is to review available information on the methods of enhancing retention of maxillary obturators. A maxillofacial prosthesis used to close, cover, or maintain the integrity of the oral and nasal compartments resulting from a congenital, acquired, or developmental disease process, i.e. cancer, cleft palate, osteoradionecrosis of the palate. The prosthesis facilit...

To examine the effects of mechanical lung strain on regenerative growth of alveolar septal tissue after pneumonectomy (PNX), we replaced the right lungs of adult dogs with a custom-shaped inflatable silicone prosthesis. The prosthesis was either inflated (Inf) to maintain the mediastinum at the midline or deflated to allow mediastinal shift. The animals were euthanized approximately 15 mo later...

Replacement of missing ears is a challenging task in which extensive array of materials and techniques have been employed. This article describes a different and simplified procedure for fabricating auricular prostheses very similar to the intact left ear of the patient. A 65-year-old male patient was referred to the Department of Prosthodontics with the loss of the right ear. In this case, the...