Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to B O Divis.
The immobilization of a simple fractured jaw with arch bars is a time-consuming, laborious procedure. The alternative method of immobilization described here uses a precisely threaded, 22-gauge, malleable stainless steel wire and a threaded nylon nut. It affords the surgeon relative safety from accidental puncture trauma and makes the interdental immobilization a precise and speedy procedure.
Immobilization of the jaw by wires has remained a common method of treatment over the past 130 years as determined through articles in the medical and dental journals as far back as 1887. A variety of devices and techniques have been invented as an alternative to the wires but have failed to gain popularity because of their complex mechanical design or surgical technique. A wire with a precisely engineered thread and threaded nylon nut are described as an accurate, speedy and simple alternative to the arch bars and wires method of immobilizing the jaw while greatly reducing the chances of trauma to the surgeon.
A case of meningioma en plaque presenting as a tumor in the right middle ear is described. A review of the relevant literature indicates only three previous reports of an en plaque meningioma occurring in the posterior cranial fossa. The unusual features of this tumor are described and the clinical manifestations and diagnosis discussed in detail.