These results suggest that the skeletal morphology of the face changes with age. This change in skeletal morphology may contribute to the appearance of the aging face.

The majority of respondents repair clefts in one stage. The most frequently used repair techniques are the Furlow palatoplasty and the Bardach style with intravelar veloplasty. After surgery, the majority of surgeons discharge patients in 1 or 2 days, and nearly all surgeons implement feeding restrictions and the use of arm restraints. The varying feeding protocols are reviewed in this article.

These results suggest that the bony elements of the mandible change significantly with age for both genders and that these changes, coupled with soft-tissue changes, lead to the appearance of the aged lower third of the face.

Studies were performed evaluating the role of Smad3, a transcription factor mediating canonical TGF-β signaling, on scarring and adhesion formation using an established flexor digitorum longus (FDL) tendon repair model. In unoperated animals the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) range of motion (ROM) was similar in Smad3−/− and wild type (WT) mice while the basal tensile strength of Smad3−/− tendons was significantly (39%) lower than in WT controls. At 14 and 21 days following repair Smad3−/− MTP ROM reached approximately 50% of the level of the basal level and was twice that observed in WT tendon repairs, consistent with reduced adhesion formation. Smad3−/− and WT maximal tensile repair strength on post-operative day 14 was similar. However, Smad3−/− tendon repairs maximal tensile strength on day 21 was 42% lower than observed in matched WT mice, mimicking the relative decrease in strength observed in Smad3−/− FDL tendons under basal conditions. Histology showed reduced "healing callus" in Smad3−/− tendons while quantitative PCR, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry showed decreased col3a1 and col1a1 and increased MMP9 gene and protein expression in repaired Smad3−/− tendons. Thus, Smad3−/− mice have reduced collagen and increased MMP9 gene and protein expression and decreased scarring following tendon FDL tendon repair.

No abstract

In this work, inhibiting TGF-β signaling led to a reduction in radiation-induced capsular contracture as measured by micro-computed tomographic and histologic evaluation. The results of this study suggest a promising target for the prevention of capsular contracture through the development of anti-Smad3/TGF-β-based therapies.

In this article, the authors introduce a novel animal model with which to study capsular contracture. This model is the first of its kind to use radiation to induce, and live-scan micro-computed tomography to evaluate, capsular contracture. Radiation was shown to cause reproducible changes that can be consistently evaluated with micro-computed tomography and histology. Future studies with this model will study the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying capsular contracture using knockout and transgenic mouse strains.

Although there is concern that PPF takedown may degrade speech, this study finds that surgical takedown of PPF, when clinically indicated, does not result in a clinically significant regression of speech.