METHODS: This is a retrospective review using archived data sets of women seen in the context of two prospective perinatal imaging studies. All subjects had undergone a standardised interview, a clinical examination and 4D translabial ultrasound, 3 months and 2-5 years post-partum. Main outcome measures were pelvic organ descent and hiatal area at maximum Valsalva manoeuvre. Means at the two time points were compared using paired Student's t test. Predictors of change over time in continuous variables were explored using linear modelling methods.
RESULTS: A total of 300 women had at least two postnatal follow-ups. They were first seen on average 0.39 (SD 0.2, range 0.2-2.1) years and again 3.1 (SD 1.5, range 1.4-8) years after the index delivery, with a mean interval of 2.71 (SD 1.5, range 0.7-7.7) years, providing a total of 813 (300 × 2.71) woman-years of observation. On univariate analysis, there was a significant decrease in mobility over time of the bladder neck, bladder, and rectal ampulla (P = < 0.004) and hiatal area (P = 0.012). The degree of improvement was less marked in women with levator avulsion.
CONCLUSIONS: A significant reduction in pelvic organ descent and hiatal area was noted over a mean of 2.7 years after a first birth.
METHODS AND MATERIALS: A prospective study was conducted between April 2016 and May 2017. Twenty two adult patients aged 18-38 years with gummy smile ranging from 4 to 6 mm because of soft tissue disorders were included in the study. All patients were treated in the oral and maxillofacial department at Damascus University. The sample was divided into two groups of 11 patients. The first group was treated by the conventional standard technique, and the second group treated by a modified study technique. The amount of gingival display in full smile was evaluated in both groups following each intervention.
RESULTS: Both groups exhibited a statistically significant reduction in the measurement of gummy smile at month 1 and 6 postoperatively (P .05). The recent study showed a significant difference in gingival display between 3 and 6 months postoperatively in group 1, but no significant difference in group 2.
CONCLUSION: This study showed that the modified technique utilized in treating gummy smile has less relapse after surgery, shows excellent cosmesis and compared to the conventional technique, greater sustainability.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The recent increase in demand for an esthetic smile has led to the development a modification of conventional lip repositioning for correcting gummy smile by myotomy of lip elevator muscles. This modified technique offers less relapse and greater stability post-operatively than the conventional technique.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nineteen linear facial measurements were derived from 16 standardized surface landmarks obtained from 37 cleft patients (20 males, 17 females; mean age 23.84 years, standard deviation ± 6.02). They were taken manually with calipers and were compared with the digitally calculated distance on the 3D images captured using the VECTRA-M5 360° Imaging System with pre-marked landmarks. Another pair of 19 linear measurements were computed on the 3D images 2 weeks apart for intra- and inter-observer agreements. Statistical analyses used were paired t test, the Bland-Altman analysis, and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) index.
RESULTS: Most of the linear measurements showed no statistically significant differences between the proposed method and direct anthropometry linear measurements. Nevertheless, bias of the 3D imaging system is present in the linear measurements of the nose width and the upper vermillion height. The measurements' mean biases were within 2 mm, but the 95% limit of agreement was more than 2 mm. Intra- and inter-observer measurements generally showed good reproducibility. Four inter-observer measurements, the upper and lower face heights, nose width, and pronasale to left alar base were clinically significant.
CONCLUSIONS: Measurements obtained from this 3D imaging system are valid and reproducible for evaluating CLP patients.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The system is suitable to be used in a clinical setting for cleft patients. However, training of the operator is strictly advisable.