A Clinical Analysis of Facial Bone Fractures Excluding Nasal Bone Fractures / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The number of facial bone fractures are steadily increasing because of increment of traffic volume and expansion of social activity. Also the forms of the fractures show to be more complicated due to increase of traffic vehicles. Facial region has an important role in human aesthetic and functional aspects. Therefore, it it very important to diagnose accurately and treat promptly and appropriately the fracture, to minimize deformity and functional disturbance in the face and enable the patient to socialize normally. OBJECTIVE: Our objective of this study is to elucidate general characteristics of clinical aspect in the facial bone fractures by analyzing the cases with facial bone fractures who diagnosed and treated at Nam Kwang Hospital for recent 2 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors reviewed retrospectively the medical records of 115 patients among 200 patients with facial bone fractures, excluding 85 patients who had only nasal bone fractures, diagnosed and treated at Nam Kwang Hospital from Jan. 1995 to Dec. 1996. The records of the cases were examined and analyzed according to sex and age distribution, cause of injury, symptoms and signs, associated injuries, frequency and treatment modality in each region, and complications. Results and CONCLUSIONS: The results were as follows; 1) Ninty cases(78.3%) were male and the peak age group was third decade(33.0%). 2) The most common cause of injury was motor vehicle accident(53.0%). 3) The most common symptoms and signs were pain, tenderness and edema(100%). 4) The most common associated injury was soft tissue injury(58.3%). 5) Single facial bone fracture was more common(68.7%) and among them, mandibular fracture was the most common. 6) The incidences of anatomical locations of facial bone fracture were mandible(45.2%), zygoma(39.1%), maxilla(17.4%) and frontal bone(14.8%), in order of frequency. 7) In zygomatic fractures, arch fracture was the most common(46.7%). 8) In maxillary fractures, complete Le Fort fracture type I was the most common(20.0%). 9) In orbital fractures, pure blow-out fracture was the most common(52.9%). 10) In mandibular fractures, symphysis and parasymphysis were the most common anatomical site(48.1%). 11) The cases treated with surgical approach were 70.4%. 12) The most common complication was infraorbital nerve dysfunction(6.1%).