Sara Piloni

Background: Orbital floor fractures (OFFs) represent a challenging reconstructive problem because of the complex three-dimensional anatomy of the orbit. Building upon our group’s 2024 preliminary pilot study, which initially proposed an “In-House” digital framework, this retrospective study aims to definitively validate and scale up that protocol. Methods: This retrospective single-center comparative cohort study evaluated an in-house workflow, on patients treated for OFF at the “Magna Graecia” University Hospital of Catanzaro from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2025, in which titanium mesh was pre-contoured on a patient-specific 3D-printed stereolithographic model, compared with conventional intraoperative manual contouring. Results: Twenty-nine patients met the surgical inclusion criteria: 7 were treated conventionally (G1a) and 22 with the 3D-planned workflow (G1b). Twenty-nine patients with intact orbital structures served as a descriptive control cohort (G2). In G1, 87 volumetric measurements were obtained: preoperative measurements of the healthy contralateral and fractured orbits and postoperative measurements of the reconstructed orbit. The primary comparative volumetric outcome was the absolute postoperative residual discrepancy between the reconstructed orbit and the healthy contralateral orbit. Because of the small and unequal groups, the comparison between G1a and G1b was performed using an exact two-sided Mann–Whitney U test. G1b showed a lower median absolute postoperative residual discrepancy than G1a (0.4668 vs. 1.3370 cm³; U = 139; p = 0.00072). Operative time was also shorter in G1b (mean 41.4 vs. 80.7 min; exact Mann–Whitney p < 0.00001). The control cohort showed a mean absolute inter-orbital difference of 0.6177 ± 0.29 cm³; the interval 0.3277–0.9077 cm³ represents mean ± SD and is reported only as an exploratory descriptive band, not as a validated clinical reference interval or therapeutic threshold. All G1b patients had resolution of diplopia by one year, but the observational design does not establish a causal relationship between a specific volumetric value and functional recovery. Conclusion: These findings suggest an association between the in-house 3D workflow and improved volumetric matching and shorter operative time, while the small conventional subgroup and temporal differences between treatment periods require confirmation in larger prospective studies.

Objectives The association between oral lichen planus and thyroid disorders, especially hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, has been discussed in current literature with conflicting outcomes. Materials and Methods The study retrospectively evaluated the thyroid status in patients diagnosed with oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid lesions. A case–control approach was used to prove that thyroid disorders were statistically significant risk factors for oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid lesions. Statistical Analysis To evaluate these associations, odds ratios (ORs) were used. ORs precision and statistical significance were estimated using a 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value, respectively. Results A total of 307 patients were involved in the study: 158 females and 149 males. OR, 95% CIs, and p-values were analyzed. Patients with thyroid diseases showed an increased risk of developing oral lichen planus (OR: 4.29, 95% CI: 1.85–9.96, p-value: 0.0007) and oral lichenoid lesions (OR: 2.76, 95% CI: 1.24–6.13, p-value: 0.0129). This association was maintained in patients with oral lichen planus, while also considering hypothyroidism (OR: 3.74, 95% CI: 1.46–9.58, p-value: 0.0059) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (OR: 4.57, 95% CI: 1.58–13.23, p-value: 0.005) alone. The correlation of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and smoking status with oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid lesions was also evaluated but no statistical significance was found. Conclusion Even if further investigations are needed, the association between oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid lesions with thyroid pathologies should be taken into consideration by endocrinologists due to the potential malignancy of these disorders.

Background: This retrospective study aims to identify the potential reasons for the increase in maxillofacial trauma from domestic violence in the first COVID-19 lockdown and propose some strategies that could be effective in fighting it during any future pandemic events. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on patients with maxillofacial trauma who arrived at the Maxillofacial Unit of the Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro from 9 March to 3 May 2020, who were compared with those registered in the same period in 2019. Inclusion criteria were: patients of both sexes and admission diagnosed with maxillofacial trauma with or without bone fracture. Exclusion criteria were: patients less than 7 years of age, maxillofacial trauma that occurred outside the established period, and patients unconscious or with unclear clinical history. Patients were divided into two groups according to the mechanism of injury (MOI): “domestic” and “non-domestic” trauma. Both descriptive and regressive statistical analysis was conducted using a Student’s t-test with a significance level set at p < 0.05. Results: The total number of maxillofacial fractures in 2020 was similar to 2019 (31 pcs in 2020 vs. 38 pcs in 2019). Before the lockdown, most of the trauma occurred in non-domestic settings (25% in 2020 vs. 76.67% in 2019), especially in road accidents (4.17% in 2020 vs. 20% in 2019). During the lockdown, most of the trauma occurred in a domestic setting (75% in 2020 vs. 23.33% in 2019), especially interpersonal violence (31.58% in 2020 vs. 14.28% in 2019). There were 7 cases of interpersonal violence recorded in 2020 (1 male and 6 female), compared to only one case (female) recorded in 2019, with a statistically significant p-Value (0.0475). Conclusions: The first COVID-19 lockdown has provided the opportunity to study the aetiology of domestic trauma due to interpersonal violence attributable to economic and social problems, all of which were aggravated by the impediment to requesting help due to the difficulty of contacting the services and the general slowdown in the ways out of violence. The analysis conducted and compared with data in the literature suggests the adoption of a proactive (and non-reactive) approach to combat domestic violence during pandemic events.

Introduction: Genioplasty is the gold standard technique to modify natural chin anatomy based on an inferior border osteotomy of the mandible enabling 3D-repositioning of the chin. Our “step-technique genioplasty” is a modified and improved surgical technique for advancement genioplasty in patients with elusive chin and vertical excess of the lower third. Case presentation: We performed this technique on a 23-year-old female patient with a history of facial trauma that affected the morphology and aesthetics of the lower third. The surgery consisted of two osteotomy lines. The first osteotomy line was a monocortical osteotomy allowing to preserve the integrity of the lingual cortex. About 3 mm below, the second and complete bicortical osteotomy was performed to mobilize the chin segment. A bone fragment containing the vestibular cortex and medullary portion of the mandible was removed preserving the integrity of the lingual cortex and creating a bony step in mandibular symphysis. The osteotomized chin was advanced in the front of the bony step. Discussion: Compared with known techniques, step-technique genioplasty allowed addressing the vertical chin excess not only at the level of the symphysis but also posteriorly with no over-projection of the chin and no deepening of the labiomental crease, common downsides in other approaches. Conclusion: The aesthetic outcome reflected the preoperative planning: we obtained a smoother transition between symphysis and horizontal branch of the mandible, just the right amount of anterior projection of the chin, greater stability, and predictability of the outcome with satisfying aesthetical results and no complications. Highlights: