This study compared the mandibular canal length and volume on the left and right sides in patients with hemifacial microsomia (HFM). This retrospective study included 23 patients classified according to the Pruzansky classification. The mandible and mandibular canal were reconstructed using cone-beam computed tomography images. Mandibular canal length, body volume, and ramus volume ratios (affected/normal side) were calculated using the normal side of each patient as the control. Within the same grade, the correlations between the mandibular canal length and body volume ratios and that between the mandibular canal length and ramus volume ratios were confirmed. We analyzed the differences in the mean mandibular canal length, body volume, and ramus volume ratios between the grades. Within the same grade, a significant positive correlation was found between the mandibular canal length and body volume ratios in patients with grade II HFM. Significant differences were observed between grades I and II, with grade I showing larger average ratios. This study showed a correlation between the mandibular canal length and body volume on the affected side in patients with Pruzansky grade II HFM and that the mandibular volume and canal length on the affected side decreased with increasing Pruzansky grade.

  The growth and development of craniofacial forms depend on the functional status of the surrounding soft tissue and patient genetics. This study investigated the relationships between the mandibular condylar volume and surface area, and the masseter muscle cross-sectional area to clarify the relationship between mandibular condylar morphology and occlusal forces. This study included 46 adult patients without facial asymmetry who underwent cone-beam computed tomography for orthodontic diagnosis. The vertical facial patterns were classified according to the Frankfort mandibular plane angle, and the relationships between the mandibular condyle volume, mandibular condyle surface area, and masseter muscle cross-sectional area were analyzed for each vertical facial form. Significant differences were found between the masseter muscle cross-sectional areas of the mesofacial and dolichofacial types, and between the brachyfacial and dolichofacial types, suggesting that masseter muscle cross-sectional area is related to vertical facial morphology. Further, a significant difference was found between the mandibular condylar volumes for the brachyfacial and dolichofacial types, suggesting that mandibular cartilage growth is associated with masticatory muscle traction.

  The maxilla plays an important role in mastication, swallowing, and articulation, as well as facial morphology, holding the eyeballs and blocking the oral and nasal cavities. Maxillary cancer requires multidisciplinary treatment that combines surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. In the case of surgical treatment, depending on the degree of tissue loss, functional and cosmetic problems may occur, so various types of reconstruction are required. For reconstruction of the palate after total maxillary resection, free tissue transplantation such as involving the rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap or forearm flap is often utilized. It is necessary to consider the optimal technique. We performed palatal reconstruction for two cases of maxillary cancer using a pedicled temporal muscle flap with pre-existing cardiac and renal dysfunction and low surgical tolerance. Similar reports are rare. In this article, we report our procedure, and favorable results were obtained in terms of function and esthetics.

  In midfacial fractures caused by a traffic accident or fall, the face is impacted by a strong external force that causes damage to soft tissues and bone structures. Moreover, complications are often caused due to the involvement of proximal intracranial, orbital, and paranasal sinuses. To treat midfacial fractures, reduction of facial structures and fixation of facial bones are performed with buttresses or reference points that support the facial structures. However, in patients with midfacial fractures, buttresses and reference points are lost, which poses surgical difficulties. In the present case, we conducted elective cricothyrotomy only during surgery for midfacial fractures and fixation using a halo-type bone extender (BLUE DEVICE^TM, Zimmer Biomet, USA). The postoperative course was favorable and good functional and esthetic outcomes were obtained. Four years after the removal of the halo-type bone extender, the outcome continued to be favorable.

  It has been reported that the septum is a key structure to correct and optimize management of nasal fracture. It is useful if deformities of nasal septal cartilage are evaluated morphologically. However, it is very difficult to detect septal cartilage separately in conventional CT since the CT values are close to those of adjacent septal mucosal tissue. Nevertheless, advanced technology machines such as multidetector-row CT and new-generation software have improved the quality of 3D imaging, and this paper describes procedures to achieve visualization of septal cartilaginous deformity using a high-resolution scan and SYNAPSE VINCENT^®. Septal cartilage 3D-CT models were created for six cases of nasal fracture treated in our department since April 2022. Superior views, reducing the opacity of bones, and color-coding of the left and right planes were useful for observation. Although further improvements in image quality are desired, these procedures could be helpful for the diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of nasal bone fractures.