Frequency, etiology and characterstics of zygomatic complex fractures

Objective of this study was to find out the frequency, etiology and characteristics of zygomatic complex [ZMC] fractures. Forty patients with ZMC fracture visiting Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad from 27[th] January 2006 to 16[th] June 2006 were included in the study. A detailed history of patients was taken to find out the etiology, followed by clinical and radiographic examination to find out the characteristics of ZMC fractures. There were 31[77.5%] male and 9 [22.5%] female patients. The most common cause of ZMC fractures was Road Traffic Accident [RTA] 17[42.5%] followed by fall 8[20%], Firearm injury [FM] 5[12.5%], earthquake injury [EQI] 4[10%], interpersonal violence [IPV] 3 [7.5%], sports injury 2 [5%] and explosion [EXP] 1 [2.5%]. The most common characteristic of ZMC fracture in this study was periorbital ecchymosis 13 [32.5%] followed by paresthesia 8 [20%], flattening of cheek 6 [15%], subconjunctival ecchymosis 5 [12.5%], epistaxis 5 [12.5%], pain 5 [12.5%], step deformity of orbital margins 4 [10%], trismnus 3 [7.5%], diplopia 3 [7.5%] and buccal sulcus ecchymosis 2 [5%]

Frequency of unerupted mandibular third molar in mandibular angle fractures

Fractures of the mandibular angle are common and comprise 31% of all mandibular fractures. Multiple recent studies report a 2-3 fold increased risk for mandibular angle fractures when un-erupted mandibular third molars are present. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of un-erupted mandibular third molar in mandibular angle fractures. This crosssectional study was conducted at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad from April to October 2009. One hundred and two patients were included both from the outdoor and ward on consecutive non-probability sampling base. Data were recorded on a structured Performa and analysed using SPSS-16. A hemi-mandible containing un-erupted mandibular third molar was seen to have a 1.41 times the risk of mandibular angle fracture then a hemi-mandible containing an erupted mandibular third molar. The presence of unerupted mandibular third molar is associated with an increased risk for mandibular angle fracture.