6 0 0 INTERNATIONAL ABSTRACTS OF PEDIATRIC SURGERY

cause of collapse of the arch-- the lesser segment of the alveolus moving medially and thereby distorting the pattern of the alveolus arch.

The author believes that contraction of sear tissue arising in the raw area of the alveolus gap is mainly responsible for this collapse. He advises the use of a small flap of mueosa from the buccal aspect of the lip to cover the raw surface when the lip is repaired. At 1 year of age the alveolus gap has not closed and the general shape of the arch is very good. The gap has been found to be closed by the time the first dentition is complete.--R. B. Zachary

COM~'LETE CLEFT L m AND PALATE. IN-

TE1RMAXILLARY BONE GRAFTING AT TIlE

TIME OF OPERATION OF THE LIP. P.

Ingelrans, B. Poupard and E. Fievez. Ann. Chit. Infant. (Paris) 7:77-84, March 1966.

According to Scandinavian and German authors (Biiekdahl, Nordin, Schuchardt, Sehrudde, etc.) 18 infants aged 6 to 8 months were submitted to intermaxillary

' b o n e grafting at the time of operation of the cleft lip: 13 infants had an unilateral and 5 a bilateral cleft lip and palate. Though the follow-up period is very short (1 to 3 years), results seem to be satisfac- tory.--M, Bettex

PRESENT STATE OF SURGERY OF CLEFT LIP AND PALATE. M. Bettex. Paediat. Fort- bildungskurse 17:35-53, 1966.

The author streses the importance of total care in the treatment of cleft lip and palate and the necessity of team work. In addition to surgery of the soft parts, early maxillary orthopedic treatment, bone grafting of the maxillary cleft, otorhinolaryngologic care and logopedics are mandatory. The timing of the diverse phases of treatment is most important.--M. Bettex

ELECTRIC MOUTH BURNS IN CHILDREN. P. Fogh-Andersen and B. S~rensen. Acta Chir. Scand. 131:214-218, March 1966.

In 33 of the 35 cases the accident was caused by a defective plug of a "live" ex- tension cord, which in 32 cases belonged to

an electric vacuum cleaner. The treatment has followed conservative principles, i. e., spontaneous healing and secondary recon- structive procedures. As a prophylactic measure it is suggested that electric vacuum cleaners in private households should have nondetachable extension cords or unbreak- able plugs.--Th. Ehrenpreis

ANATOMY OF TIlE FACIAL NERVE IN FE- TUSES AND STILLBORN INFANTS. G. J. Sammarco, B. F. Ryan, and C. G. Longe- necker. Plast. Reconstruct. Surg. 37-6:566- 574, June, 1966.

The authors dissected 24 halves of fetuses or of stillborn infants to determine the posi- tion of the facial nerve.

The following steps were carried out in the dissections: (1) the retromandibular vein was located at the superior border of the parotid gland, (2) the vein was followed until it was crossed by the temporofacial ramus, (3) which in turn was followed to the bifurcation of the facial nerve trunk. The increase in tile distance from the sur- face of the skin to the bifurcation of the nerve trunk, from 4 ram. in the 840 Gin. fetus to 1O ram. in the 2,900 Gin. fetus, was due to increased fat and subcutaneous tissue.

All mandibular branches were above the inferior margin of the mandible as they crossed the facial artery and vein.

The most constant measurements were: (1) the distance from the bifurcation to the retromandibular vein, (2) the superficial re- lation of the temporofacial nerve trunk to the external auditory canal. The distance from the bifurcation to the posterior edge of the vein ranged from zero to 5 ram. + and was either behind or resting on the vein.--Mitehell S. Karlan.

MEDIAN FISSURE OF THE NECK. B. KSnigovd. Rozhl. chir. 45:34-40, 1966.

In the material of the Department of Plastic Surgery of the Faculty of Hygiene, Charles University, Prague, there were 22 patients with median fistula of the neck, 12 of which were identified as median fissure. It is pointed out that best results are ob- tained when operating in the first year of life. A complete excision of the whole lq-