In maxillary reconstruction, it is necessary to arrange several bone segments three-dimensionally in a narrow area while avoiding kinking or obstruction of the vascular pedicle. Precise osteotomy and bone placement will result in more accurate reconstruction; however, the pedicles will be shorter and less likely to reach the cervical recipient vessels.
　　Therefore, we visualized the bone arrangement and reach of blood vessels for maxillary defects using a free fibular flap by computer simulation. We investigated the types of defects in which the vascular pedicles reach the neck sufficiently.
　　Using 3D-CT data of the maxilla and fibula, simulated reconstruction of maxillary defects (Brown ClassⅡb, Ⅱd, Ⅲb, Ⅲd) with the fibula was performed using computer software. We investigated whether the base of the pedicle reached the cervical recipient artery when bone fragments were placed on the alveolar arch, zygomatic eminence, and infraorbital margin in each defect.
　　The vascular pedicle reached the neck in Ⅱb, Ⅱd, and parts of Ⅲb, but not in parts of Ⅲb and Ⅲd. In the Ⅲb defect, the pedicle did not reach the neck when the alveolar arch was reconstructed.
　　A Ⅲb defect may be the limit of reconstruction using a fibula flap alone when arranging the fibula and blood vessels, whose main purpose is reconstruction of the alveolar arch.

　　The objective of the present study was to identify the zygomaticomaxillary suture (ZMS) in a three-dimensional plane using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and elucidate the relationships between maxillofacial size / morphology and plane directions. This study included 90 Japanese adult women, with a mean age of 27.07 ± 8.70 years. CBCT was used to identify the ZMS in a three-dimensional plane, represented by three points on the ZMS and defined mathematically by the three-dimensional coordinates of these points. The plane directions were evaluated based on the angles between the right and left ZMS planes and between the Frankfort horizontal plane and ZMS planes. In addition, several maxillofacial angles and distances were measured using CBCT, and the distance ratios were calculated. The correlations between the ZMS angles and maxillofacial measurements and distance ratios were evaluated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The angle between the right and left ZMS planes weakly correlated with zygomatic arch width ( r=-0.21). In addition, the ratio between the maxillary vertical distance and width and that between the maxillary vertical distance and anteroposterior distance also weakly correlated with the angle between the right and left ZMS planes ( r=0.24～0.25). The ZMS plane directions may correlate with maxillofacial morphology.

　　We used cone beam computed tomography data at the time of orthodontic treatment planning (T1) and at the completion of preoperative orthodontic treatment (T2) to quantify the changes in the morphology of the mandibular symphysis and elucidate the relevant factors. Additionally, using three-dimensional finite element analysis model (3D-FEM), we aimed to verify the mechanical behavior of the mandibular symphysis when applying orthodontic force to the mandibular anterior teeth.
　　This study included 45 patients with skeletal mandibular prognathism. The following six angles were evaluated in the measured areas: FMA, ANB angle, gonial angle, Y-axis angle, IMPA at T1 and only IMPA at T2. The distance of the measurement indicated the amount of change in bone morphology. In 3D-FEM, orthodontic force was added as the weight, and the stress distribution was calculated.
　　Statistical analysis suggested that the FMA, IMPA change, treatment period, and ANB angle affected the morphological changes. Additionally, no changes in the bone morphology were observed near the base of the mandibular symphysis, and the 3D-FEM yielded the same results.
　　In conclusion, changes in the bone morphology caused by surgical orthodontic treatment are limited to the area surrounding the roots of the teeth.

　　Although the usage of absorbable plates for the treatment of orbital floor fractures is well established, there are only a few reports on the comparison of titanium mesh plates and standard osteosynthesis material.
　　In this study, we used a composite of unburned hydroxyapatite (u-HA) and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) as an absorbable plate (u-HA/PLLA), and compared it with a titanium mesh plate in terms of operative time and mid- to long-term complications over a six-month period after surgery.
　　On comparison of the 67 patients (50 patients with u-HA/PLLA plate and 17 patients with titanium mesh plate), the operative time was significantly shorter in the titanium mesh plate group (P<0.05). For complication rate comparison, 48 patients (35 with u-HA/PLLA plate and 13 with titanium mesh plate) were followed up in an outpatient setting for more than 6 months after surgery, but no significant difference between the two groups was found.
　　Both u-HA/PLLA and titanium mesh plates are excellent materials with few complications; therefore, it is necessary to consider both materials on a case-by-case basis.

　　Behçet’s disease (BD) is a systemic autoimmune disease that presents with aphthous ulcers of the oral mucosa, uveitis, and genital ulcers. Aphthous ulcers of the oral mucosa can cause lip deformity and scar contracture during the wound healing process. We treated a scarring lesion in the right corner of the mouth using a tongue flap in a patient suspected of having intestinal BD.
　　The patient, a 75-year-old woman, had a long history of repeated relapse and remission of oral mucosal and gastrointestinal symptoms. The symptoms remained in remission with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitor treatment, but during the healing process, the lips became deformed and scarred. Therefore, we performed reconstructive surgery using a tongue flap. As a result, drooling and trismus improved, and the appearance of the reconstructed oral cavity was satisfactory. The postoperative course was uneventful.
　　Tongue flaps have excellent blood supply, and are effective for covering defects that have a complex and three-dimensional morphology. In this case, a tongue flap was used safely in a patient suspected of having intestinal BD. Reconstruction using a tongue flap may be considered as one of the effective options for lip deformity and mucosal scar contracture in collagen disease.