Focal Palatitis (Previously Focal Palatine Erosions) in Captive Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus).

Focal palatine erosion (FPE) is a misleading term that is used in the literature to describe inflammatory lesions associated with depressions of the palatal mucosa in cheetah. Cheetahs have large cheek teeth and these depressions are formed to accommodate them. Previously FPE was only described as a mandibular molar tooth malocclusion on the hard palate due to suspected rotation and super eruption of the mandibular molar teeth of cheetahs aged 18 months and older. Two hundred and fifty six cheetahs (135 male, 121 female), originating from two independent facilities, had their oral cavities evaluated as part of an annual health visit over a decade. Ninety-nine cheetahs were seen once, 59 cheetahs were seen twice, 33 were seen three times, 43 on four occasions, 16 on five occasions, 5 on six occasions, and 1 cheetah was seen seven times. Apart from these clinical cases a prospective study on 5 cheetah cubs (3 male and 2 female) was conducted to document their skull development and mandibular molar tooth eruption over a period of 25 months. Of the 261 cheetahs observed none developed rotation or super eruption of their mandibular molar teeth. The term FPE is a misnomer as these inflammatory lesions were found in palatal depressions opposing any of the cusps of all of the cheetah mandibular cheek teeth. It consisted mainly of deep ulcerations, inflammation and oedema and also micro abscess formation. In severe cases oro-nasal fistulas were present. Of all the depressions present on the cheetah's palate, the large one palatal to the 4th maxillary premolar tooth was most commonly affected. In the five cubs evaluated prospectively, focal palatitis was evident from the 7 month evaluation, before all the permanent teeth erupted. Conservative treatment of the inflamed depressions by removing the foreign material through curettage and copious flushing reduced the grade of the inflammation when observed on follow-up. Focal palatine erosion is an incorrect term used to describe focal palatitis that occurs randomly in cheetahs. This focal palatitis is often associated with foreign material trapped in the palatal depressions. Conservative management is sufficient to treat these animals without odontoplasties.

Validation of Roberts' method using root canal width patterns as a mandibular maturity marker in determining the 18-year threshold.

The South African Bill of Rights and the Children's Act define a 'child' as a person under the age of 18 years. The age of 18 years is therefore significant for legal purposes in South Africa. The third molar is an important indicator in determining the 18-year threshold. Human biological growth markers are accepted indicators of a subject attaining the age of 18 years. A recent study by Roberts et al. suggested that the relative width of the distal root canals (RCW) of the lower left permanent molars (Fédération Dentaire Internationale notation 36, 37 and 38) as visualised on dental panoramic radiographs can be used as such a growth marker. This study aimed to validate this human biological growth marker in both black and white populations living in South Africa according to Roberts' method. The findings of this validation study were in agreement with this method which showed that individuals with Demirjian stage H left molars and category RCW-C were indeed over the 18-year threshold. Important aspects regarding the rationality and application of Roberts' method are discussed. The authors conclude that this method should not be used in isolation but as an adjunct with other age estimation methods.

Longitudinal Radiographic Study of Cranial Bone Growth in Young Cheetah.

Focal palatitis (also known as focal palatine erosion) is thought to be a developmental disease, specifically of cheetah in captivity raised on a commercial diet. The lack of chewing is thought to cause the mandibular molar to change angulation, contacting the palate and causing the lesions. We followed the development of five captive cheetah cubs, born within 2 weeks of each other, at the same facility. This longitudinal study followed the cubs cephalometrically from 7-months-old to 25-months-old. Of each cub we made a lateral and dorsoventral radiograph at 7, 13, 20, and 25-months-old. For each radiograph at each age, a predefined series of measurements were made including the angle of the molar. The latter was measured as the angle of the bisecting line running through the apex of the caudal molar root intersecting with a line drawn at the ventral margin of the mandible. The results confirmed that the cheetah skull and neurocranium follows the same neural growth pattern as has been described for other mammalians. Similarly the maxillofacial component follows the same somatic growth as seen in all mammalians excluding humans and non-human primates, where a pubertal growth spurt is present. Finally the angle of the mandibular molar at 7 months differed significantly from the angle at the other ages, however there were no statistical difference in the angulation of the molar after eruption (13 months and older ages). In these five cheetah the lack of chewing (as seen in captivity with a commercial or meat only based diet) did not alter the angulation of the mandibular molar, nor did the mandibular molars super erupt in these patients at 25-months-of-age.

Biomechanical comparison between pins and polymethylmethacrylate and the SOP locking plate system to stabilize canine lumbosacral fracture-luxation in flexion and extension.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the stability of a simulated complete L7-S1 fracture-luxation immobilized with SOP locking plate system, compared to pins and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). STUDY DESIGN: In vitro biomechanical study. ANIMALS: Cadaver specimens of 18 skeletally mature large-breed dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Specimens were randomly stabilized with one of the two fixation techniques. Lumbosacral spine specimens (L5-S3) were subjected to a bending moment applied to the caudal and cranial ends of the specimen. The biomechanical parameters (ie, range of motion [ROM], neutral zone [NZ], and elastic zone stiffness [EZS]) were compared between fixation techniques. RESULTS: No difference was found between the means of the NZ in flexion (P = .3458), extension (P = .1255), and total value (P = .3458) of L7-S1 stabilized with the two fixation techniques. Mean ROM in flexion (P = .2386), extension (P = .1255), and mean of EZS in extension (P = .4094) did not differ between fixations. The only significant differences were in the means of total ROM and means of the EZS in flexion, with the means being smaller with SOP fixation. CONCLUSION: The stability of the two fixation techniques in flexion and in extension was similar for the L7-S1 and adjacent L5-L6 junctions, while the mean of ROM of L6-L7 in flexion was smaller with SOP fixation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Stability of the resulting construct should be considered when selecting an implant. Our results provide evidence that fixation via pin-PMMA or SOP provide similar stability for L7-S1 fracture-luxation. In this context, other factors become more important in selecting the fixation method.

The use of cyproterone acetate in a forensic psychiatric cohort of male sex offenders and its associations with sexual activity and sexual functioning.

BACKGROUND: Cyproterone acetate (CPA) is a steroidal anti-androgenic medication used in the field of psychiatry for the treatment of paraphilic disorders, hypersexuality, and inappropriate sexual behaviour which may be present in patients with disorders such as mild and major neurocognitive disorders. In the forensic psychiatric population, it is prescribed for these indications especially for patients with a history of committing a sexual offence or who are at moderate to high risk of recidivism. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the use of CPA in a forensic psychiatric cohort of male sex offenders and its associations with sexual activity and sexual functioning. METHODS: Seventy-six forensic psychiatric patients from Weskoppies Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, participated in the study which measured their sexual functioning. A specifically designed questionnaire was used to capture relevant background information. The use of CPA was studied. The Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire, Male Clinical Version (CSFQ-M-C) was used to measure sexual functioning of participants. The CSFQ-M-C scores, and those of all its subscales, of participants on CPA were compared to those not on the drug. Relevant statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: Thirteen out of the 76 participants were being treated with CPA (17.11%). In total, 53.85% of the participants on CPA and 65.08% not on CPA had scores indicating the presence of sexual dysfunction. The total CSFQ-M-C scores for participants on CPA (mean = 40.54; median = 42) were not statistically significantly lower than those not on the drug (mean = 41.22; median = 41). More notable is that the use of CPA in this population was associated with lower levels of desire, frequency of and pleasure from sexual activity. There was an association between having intellectual disability and being treated with CPA. CONCLUSION: That all the participants were being treated with psychotropic medication could account for the high percentage of sexual dysfunction in any or all areas of sexual functioning and contribute to the small difference in CSFQ-M-C scores between the two groups. Only a tentative conclusion can be made that CPA may be more effective in decreasing levels of desire, frequency and pleasure related to sexual activity than other areas of sexual functioning. The indication for the use of CPA in this population should be assessed clinically according to patient circumstances and risk assessment.

An analysis of dental intercanine distance for use in court cases involving bite marks.

High levels of crime in South Africa and the resulting court cases requiring bite mark evidence have necessitated continuous research into the prevalence and interrelationship of recognisable dental features present in bite marks. This study represents the largest data set of descriptive statistics related to intercanine distance, in which the means, standard deviations, medians and interquartile ranges across four racial groups were determined. Intercanine distances were also statistically weighted by determining the common, uncommon and very uncommon values for each of the racial groups. The results of this research show that we can consider any maxillary intercanine distance more than 24.1 mm and less than 43.0 mm to represent a human bite mark. Black males had the largest mean (average) intercanine distance of 36.33 mm (standard deviation 2.49 mm) and white females the smallest mean intercanine distance of 33.4 mm (standard deviation 2.13 mm). The analyses showed statistically significant differences between the mean intercanine distances of different race and gender groupings. The authors do not advocate trying to determine the race or gender from intercanine distances determined, but rather the relevance of the intercanine distances in the specific race and gender groupings. This study makes a meaningful scientific contribution to the presentation of bite mark evidence at a time when subjective opinions need to be replaced with scientific data.

Tongue protrusion as an indicator of vital burning.

In the forensic assessment of burned bodies, the question of whether the victim was exposed to the fire before or after death is of crucial importance. Several external signs have been used in the past to indicate heat exposure prior to the death of the victim but these did not include tongue protrusion. The internal signs of heat exposure are generally regarded as much more important than those observed externally. No one factor has been found to be totally reliable. This study found a statistically significant dependence between tongue protrusion and presence of soot in the respiratory tract and stomach, the latter being a good indicator of vital burning. The results of this study confirm that tongue protrusion can be used as an additional indicator of vital burning.