Hemifacial microsomia: extraoral appliance for the early treatment of an infant. Literature review and case report.

In this report a description of the different features of hemifacial microsomia is given and a new way of early treatment of concomitant respiratory problems is presented. An extraoral appliance was developed for the treatment of an infant affected with this syndrome. The purpose was to temporarily minimize the child's repeated respiratory disturbances, which were probably caused by glossoptosis, until an autologous costochondral graft in the mandibular ramus could be performed. An improvement of respiration, of facial asymmetry and even a stimulation of mandibular growth was observed. It is claimed that the use of this appliance can help to avoid tracheotomy in many severe cases of uni- or bilateral facial microsomia with glossoptosis and apnea. This treatment should be considered as temporary until the general condition of the patient has improved and grafting is possible.

[The orthodontic findings in patients with unilateral Angle Class II]. / Kieferorthopädische Befunde bei Patienten mit einseitiger Angle-Klasse II.

In this study the original orthodontic documentation of 23 patients (twelve girls and eleven boys, average age 12.7 years) with one side Angle class II subdivision were analyzed. Computer assisted measurements were obtained from dental models and from posteroanterior and lateral oblique cephalometric radiographs of each patient. This results of this research indicate that the asymmetric occlusion was caused by dental as well as by skeletal components. In addition to an asymmetric position of the upper first molars, a lateral position of the whole mandible was established.

[An in-vitro study of the use of palatal arches in controlling the position of the upper molars]. / In-vitro-Studie zur Anwendung von Palatinalbögen bei der Kontrolle der Position oberer Molaren.

An in-vitro study was performed analysing the forces and moments produced by the transpalatal arches of the Goshgarian type (0.036" x 0.032" stainless steel and and of the "Precision Lingual Arch System" advocated by Burstone (0.032" x 0.032" stainless steel and 0.032" x 0.032" TMA) using an electronic force-moment gauge recently developed by Planert. The palatal bars were adapted passively, and in addition, molar expansion, symmetrical molar rotation, and buccal root torque were applied. It was found that under clinical conditions it was impossible to fabricate an absolutely passive arch wire with any of the arch types under investigation. The highest precision in applying forces and moments together with the least side-effects was possible using the low stiffness TMA version of the Burstone system.

[Anterior tooth curvatures, tooth size and arch form]. / Die Konturkurve der Frontzähne, Zahngrosse und Zahnbogenform.

In this study a possible relation between the morphological outline of the palatal concavity of upper incisors and that of the corresponding arch form was analysed. Our results showed that these two parameters seem to be independent variables of the masticatory system.