Short-term donor site morbidity: A comparison of the anterolateral thigh and radial forearm fasciocutaneous free flaps.

BACKGROUND: Donor site morbidity is an important consideration in the overall decision-making algorithm for fasciocutaneous free flap reconstruction of the head and neck. METHODS: A retrospective case series was conducted of donor site complications occurring within 30 days of surgery among 226 consecutive anterolateral thigh (ALT) or radial forearm free flap (RFFF) microvascular free tissue transfers performed by multiple reconstructive surgeons between 2005 and 2010. RESULTS: A greater number of donor site complications occurred among patients undergoing RFFF versus ALT free flaps (40; 35.4%; vs 14; 12.4%; p < .001). Wound dehiscence occurred significantly more frequently among patients undergoing RFFF versus ALT free flap reconstruction (34; 30%; vs 6; 5%; p < .001). Tendon exposure occurred in 16 of the 113 RFFFs (14.1%). Seromas occurred more commonly in the ALT group (6; 5%; vs 2; 1.7%; p = .280). CONCLUSION: Although short-term donor site morbidity was low in both groups, the ALT was associated with a significantly lower incidence of wound dehiscence with or without tendon exposure. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E945-E948, 2016.

The cleft-columellar angle: a useful variable to describe the unilateral cleft lip-associated nasal deformity.

Objective : To study a method for quantification of the severity of either the unilateral cleft lip deformity or the associated cleft nasal deformity. A standard method would be useful for defining surgical outcomes. Design : Using a developed rating questionnaire and patient photographs, 26 nonexpert volunteers rated 14 children with untreated unilateral cleft lip according to the severity of their overall deformity, as well as the individual lip and nose deformities. The cleft-columellar angle was measured as defined by the intersection of a line in the parasagittal plane and a line perpendicular to the columellar base along the midcolumellar line. The association between deformity ratings and the cleft-columellar angle was modeled using mixed-model regression analysis. Setting : Tertiary care academic medical center. Results : After accounting for within-rater and within-child effects, the cleft-columellar angle explained a statistically significant portion of the variance in the rated severity for lip deformity (49%, p  =  .0012), nasal deformity (57%, p  =  .0001), and overall deformity (57%, p  =  .0005). Conclusions : Measurement of the cleft-columellar angle in two-dimensional digital photography is simple and correlative, capturing a substantial portion of nonexpert severity ratings of the constellation of deformities seen with the unilateral cleft lip deformity. Given its ease of application, the cleft-columellar angle is a useful variable in the description of the unilateral cleft lip deformity and may find utility across institutions as cleft surgeons seek to advance surgical care through outcomes research.

Facial nerve neurorrhaphy and the effects of glucocorticoids in a rat model.

OBJECTIVE: After nerve injury, an exaggerated neuroinflammatory process may hinder neuron regeneration and recovery. Immunomodulation using glucocorticoids may therefore improve facial nerve injury outcomes. This study aims to examine the effect of both local and systemic dexamethasone administration on facial nerve functional recovery after axotomy in a rat model. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded animal study. Setting Animal laboratory. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Seventy-four Wistar rats underwent facial nerve axotomy with immediate neurorrhaphy. Rats were randomly assigned a postoperative group: control (no therapy); systemic dexamethasone 0.5, 1, 5, or 10 mg/kg for 3 administrations; or topically applied dexamethasone at 2 or 4 mg/mL. Blinded, standardized facial assessments and nerve conduction studies (NCS) were performed. Gross facial motion assessments were corroborated with vibrissae frequency video analysis. RESULTS: At 8 weeks, rats receiving systemic dexamethasone at 5 mg/kg attained greater eye blink closure (P = .004) and vibrissae motion (P = .012) compared with controls. Systemic dexamethasone at 0.5, 1, and 10 mg/kg and intraoperative topical application of dexamethasone at 2 or 4 mg/mL did not produce a significant improvement in facial motion compared with controls. Nerve conduction studies show a trend of increased return of compound muscle action potential amplitude levels compared with baseline among rats that received systemic dexamethasone 5 mg/kg but do not achieve statistical significance. CONCLUSION: In a rat facial nerve axotomy model, high-dose systemic dexamethasone therapy may improve functional recovery when administered in the immediate period following neurorrhaphy.

Comprehensive analysis of the anterolateral thigh flap vascular anatomy.

OBJECTIVE: The anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap has become a frequently used free flap for head and neck reconstruction. Widespread use has been based on literature of ALT flap thickness performed primarily in Asian populations. To our knowledge, to date there has not been a comprehensive analysis of the anthropomorphic parameters of this flap in the Western population, in which it is often much thicker, thereby potentially limiting its utility. METHODS: Computed tomographic angiograms of 106 patients were assessed, yielding 196 lower-extremity scans examined for volumetric characteristics and vascular anatomical variations. RESULTS: Perforator vessels were located in 88.8% of scans, and most commonly located were a hybrid musculoseptocutaneous vessel (52.3%) followed by septocutaneous (33.9%) and musculocutaneous (13.8%) vessels. The midpoint perforator was located within ±2% of the midpoint of the total thigh length in only 47% of legs. The proximal and distal perforators were located 52.7 and 58.6 mm from the midpoint, respectively. Subcutaneous fat thickness differed significantly by sex, with mean male and female thicknesses of 9.9 mm and 19.9 mm (P < .001), respectively. Thickness increased with increasing body mass index, especially in women. CONCLUSION: This study used computed tomographic angiography to characterize the ALT flap vasculature and thickness, providing a degree of predictability to these 2 highly variable flap characteristics.

Facial paralysis rehabilitation: state of the art.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Surgical management of facial paralysis continues to undergo evolution. Advances made in management reflect the challenging nature of facial paralysis and the drive to ever improve outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent advances have been made in neuronal transfers using the masseteric nerve, minimally invasive static procedures, and dynamic transfer of the temporalis tendon. SUMMARY: Continued evolution of techniques for the management of facial paralysis is reflected in the current literature. Broader application of neuronal transfers, minimally invasive static procedures, and orthodromic temporalis tendon transfer, among other techniques, indicates a vibrant field of surgeons who pursue ever better results for patients with facial paralysis.

Image-guided titanium implantation for craniofacial prosthetics.

Osseointegration implants have revolutionized craniofacial prosthetic reconstruction. Implant placement relies on adequate thickness and quality of bone to permit osseointegration. Positioning the implant is critical in craniofacial reconstruction because surface contours of the prosthesis must be preserved while housing attachment components securely and discretely. Also, the position of the final prosthesis must transition to native tissue smoothly. We report on the use of intraoperative stereotactic image guidance in the placement of implants for orbital, nasal, and auricular prosthetic reconstruction. Clinical data, intraoperative images, and postoperative rehabilitated results are presented to demonstrate the utility of the application of stereotactic image guidance for implant placement. In our experience, stereotactic image guidance facilitates optimal implant site selection if there is abnormal bone quantity or quality.

Management of the brow in facial paralysis.

Management of the brow remains a challenging, important, and gratifying area in the care of facial paralysis patients. Aged facial paralysis patients generally require surgical management of brow ptosis. Young facial paralysis patients occasionally require surgical management of brow ptosis. Indications for surgical management, treatment options, and surgical approach are discussed. Consideration of factors such as age, forehead furrows, skin type, duration of paralysis, and degree of visual impairment are discussed in the context of treatment planning.

Projections from auditory cortex to cochlear nucleus: A comparative analysis of rat and mouse.

Mammalian hearing is a complex special sense that involves detection, localization, and identification of the auditory stimulus. The cerebral cortex may subserve higher auditory processes by providing direct modulatory cortical projections to the auditory brainstem. To support the hypothesis that corticofugal projections are a conserved feature in the mammalian brain, this article reviews features of the rat corticofugal pathway and presents new data supporting the presence of similar projections in the mouse. The mouse auditory cortex was localized with electrophysiological recording and neuronal tracers were injected into AI. The cochlear nucleus was dissected and examined for terminal fibers by light and electron microscopy. Bouton endings were found bilaterally forming synapses with dendrites of granule cells of the cochlear nucleus. This report provides evidence for direct auditory cortex projections to the cochlear nucleus in the mouse. The distribution of projections to the granule cell domain and the synapses onto granule cell dendrites are consistent with what has been reported for rats and guinea pigs. These findings suggest a general plan for corticofugal modulation of ascending auditory information in mammals. Corticobulbar inputs to the auditory brainstem likely provided a survival advantage by improving sound detection and identification, thus allowing the development of complex social behaviors and the navigation of varied environments.

An animal model for cochlear implants.

OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility of using the deaf white cat model of early-onset deafness. We studied the neuronal effects of prosthetic intervention with a clinical, "off-the-shelf" multichannel cochlear implant. METHODS: We placed cochlear implants in 5 deaf white kittens at age 12 and 24 weeks. The devices were activated and stimulated in the laboratory using a clinical speech processor programmed with a high-resolution continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) strategy for 8 to 24 weeks. Stimulus parameters were guided by electrically evoked brainstem responses and intracochlear-evoked potentials. Kittens were assessed with respect to their tolerance and general behavior in response to speech, music, and environmental sounds. RESULTS: Surgical complications were minimal, and kittens tolerated the experimental procedures well. Subjects were able to detect and respond to a specific sound played from a computer speaker. Electrophysiologic responses were reliably attainable and showed consistency with observed behavioral responses to sound. This experimental paradigm, using clinical devices, can be used in a practical research setting in cats. CONCLUSIONS: Deafness and other variations in neural activity result in many distinct changes to the central auditory pathways. Animal models will facilitate assessment of the reversibility of deafness-associated changes at the level of the neuron and its connections. Our observations of the feasibility of using clinical devices in animal models will enable us to simulate clinical conditions in addressing questions about the effects of "replacement" activity on the structure and function within the central auditory pathways in deafness.