One of Professor Hedricks’ most notable achievements is the development of a medical device for the reconstruction of the upper jawbone (maxilla). This specialized device was jointly invented by Dr Rushdi Hendricks, A/Prof George Vicatos, and James Boonzaier while studying at UCT. This highly innovative research resulted in UCT being granted a US patent for its maxillofacial distractor.
Large surgical defects within the maxilla as a result of a tumour or trauma or are usually reconstructed with revascularized-free fibula flaps (RFFF). Previously, using curvilinear transport distraction osteogenesis (CTDO) has been shown to be an effective way to close large defects in the maxilla, but it posed limitations which have now been overcome by the current development. This distractor is an improvement on the previous three prototypes, and employs the concept of tetrafocal distraction by hybridizing the bone with the tooth within the transport disc segment. This article aims to prove that tetrafocal distraction is a suitable alternative to RFFF.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is generally the gold standard of treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Despite this, more than a third of patients have great difficulty with its chronic use, so choose to remain untreated or they seek other options. Prof. Hendricks and his associates evaluated sleepiness score-specific outcomes and the use of CPAP after tongue repositioning surgery for the treatment of OSA.
