Nasal soft tissue changes after two different approaches for surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the nasal soft tissue changes in patients who underwent surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME) using two different surgical approaches. Thirty-two patients were included in the study, and divided into two groups according to the type of surgical approach: in group A (n=17), SARME performed with standard Le Fort I circumvestibular approach with alar base cinch and anterior nasal spine (ANS) exposure; and in group B (n=15) operations were performed with the same standard Le Fort I circumvestibular approach with only alar base cinch. Measurements of height and width of the philtrum, nasal and subnasal width, and columella width were taken from three-dimensional facial images obtained before surgery (T1), after the distraction phase (T2) and 6 months postoperatively (T3). The mean maxillary expansion was 7.3±0.7mm for group A and 7.5±1.5mm for group B, without any significant difference between groups (P=0.59). Both groups presented an increase in all vaules in T2 and T3. The approach used in group A resulted in smaller changes in the columella width. The results of the present study show that there is no need for intraoperative releasing of the soft tissues around the anterior nasal spine during SARME if columella width is sufficient. However, further randomized studies based on large patient groups are needed before final conclusions on this topic can be reached.

Intraoperative comparison of single- and double-puncture techniques in temporomandibular joint arthrocentesis.

The objective of this study was to compare techniques for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthrocentesis intraoperatively and to determine the ease of performance of these techniques for the physician. A total of 33 TMJ treatments were done using single-puncture arthrocentesis (SPA) type 1, SPA type 2, and double-puncture arthrocentesis (DPA) (n=11 in each treatment group) between December 2013 and December 2017. A retrospective analysis of the duration of the procedure (minutes), occurrence of complications, number of cannula relocations, and ease of the procedure was performed. Ease of the procedure was measured using a Likert-type visual analogue scale (VAS; 0-10). All measurement variables were recorded intraoperatively, and related data were analyzed statistically. Significant differences were found between SPA type 2 and the other techniques in terms of procedure duration and ease of the procedure (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in the occurrence of complications or number of cannula relocations between the techniques (P>0.05). Compared to the other TMJ arthrocentesis techniques, SPA type 2 is easier, and physicians can perform it in a shorter time.