Quantitative assessment of symmetry recovery in navigation-assisted surgical reduction of zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of surgical navigation in zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) fracture reduction. ZMC symmetry was assessed quantitatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample comprised 25 patients who underwent surgical reduction of comminuted ZMC fractures. They were divided into two groups according to the use of surgical navigation. Reduction outcomes were evaluated using three-dimensional computed tomography models. Five pairs of landmarks were identified on all craniofacial models, and asymmetry scores were calculated based on their coordinates. In quantitative analyses, symmetry and orbital volume were compared between groups. RESULTS: All patients recovered uneventfully. Greater symmetry was observed in the navigation group than in the control group for three of the five pairs of landmarks (p < 0.05). Although postoperative volumes of the injured orbits were similar between the two groups (p > 0.05), reduced orbital volumes were larger in the navigation group, indicating better restoration of the fractured orbits (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The use of surgical navigation can increase postoperative symmetry of the bilateral ZMC. The quantitative evaluation of clinical outcomes is precise and highly reliable.

Assessment of Infraorbital Hypesthesia Following Orbital Floor and Zygomaticomaxillary Complex Fractures Using a Novel Sensory Grading System.

PURPOSE: Introduction of a novel sensory grading system to assess the incidence and long-term recovery of infraorbital hypesthesia following orbital floor and inferior orbital rim fractures. METHODS: Patients who presented for evaluation of orbital floor and/or zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) fractures between January 2015 and April 2016 were analyzed. Two-point subjective infraorbital sensory grading in 5 discrete anatomic areas was performed. Fractures were repaired based on traditional criteria; hypesthesia was not an indication for surgery. The sensory grading system was repeated a mean 21.7 months (range 18-28) after initial fracture. RESULTS: Sixty-two patients (mean 41.8 years) participated in the initial symptom grading, and 42 patients (67.7%) completed the 2-year follow-up. Overall, 20 of 42 patients (47.6%) had some infraorbital hypesthesia. There were fewer with isolated orbital floor fractures versus ZMC fractures (31.8% vs. 68.4%; p = 0.019). Two years postinjury, 9.1% and 40.0% with isolated floor and ZMC fractures, respectively, had persistent sensory disturbance (p = 0.0188). Of patients with sensory disturbance on presentation, 71.4% with isolated floor fractures and 38.5% with ZMC fractures experienced complete sensory recovery (p = 0.1596). Patients with isolated floor fractures had improved recovery after surgery (100% vs. 33.3% recovery; p = 0.0410). Patients with ZMC fractures showed no difference in sensory prognosis between those repaired and observed. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, isolated orbital floor fractures carried a good infraorbital sensory prognosis, further improved by surgical repair. Zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures portended a worse long-term sensory outcome, unaffected by management strategy. This study validates the novel sensory grading system in post-fracture analysis.

[Forensic medical criteria for the assessment of severity of harm to the health in subjects with zygomatic bone fractures].

Expert reports concerning subjects with zygomatic bone fractures were analysed and comprehensively evaluated using investigatory, clinical and anamnestic data. A total of 704 forensic medical reports were available for the purpose including 225 (32%) isolated and 479 (68%) combined fractures. It was shown that most complications of zygomatic fractures develop late in the post-traumatic period which requires repeated examination of the patients within at least one month after the injury. It is emphasized that such examination must involve neuropathologist, ophthalmologist, and maxillofacial surgeon to adequately evaluate harm to the health in patients with isolated zygomatic fractures. The main causes of discrepancy between results of estimation of harm to the health during primary and subsequent forensic medical examination of subjects with zygomatic fractures are considered.

Role of thermography in the assessment of infraorbital nerve injury after malar fractures.

We studied 45 patients with malar fractures who had some degree of infraorbital nerve deficit. Thermographic facial images failed to show any substantial changes in the temperature profiles of the affected and the normal control sides in relation to reco very of their facial sensation. Although some patients who had thermography on the day of injury showed significant temperature differences between the affected and the normal sides, these differences were probably the result of the acute inflammatory ch anges caused by the injury. We suggest that infrared thermography has little place in the assessment of infraorbital nerve deficits.

CT assessment of orbital volume in late post-traumatic enophthalmos.

The potential of CT to facilitate preoperative planning of reconstructive maxillofacial surgery by orbital volume quantification was analysed in 11 patients with traumatic enophthalmos as a late sequela of zygomatic fractures. We carried out biplanar CT examination of the orbits, and calculated total orbital and fat volumes for the healthy and enophthalmic sides. Displacement of the orbital floor and lateral wall was present in 11 and 7 cases respectively. Indentation of the medial wall was noted in 9 cases. Quantitative evaluation of the orbital cavity revealed a significant increase (P < 0.0188) in total volume on the enophthalmic side, the difference between the two sides ranging from 9.2% to 36.4%, mean 17.9%. The degree of enophthalmos, measured radiologically as 2.5-5 mm, correlated with the increase in orbital cavity volume (P = 0.000076). Enophthalmos was 2.5-3 mm in 7 cases (63.6%) and 3.5-5 mm in 4 (36.4%). This corresponded with a mean increase in orbital volume of 3.4 ml (12.3%) and 7.1 ml (27.8%) respectively. Fat atrophy was not an aetiological factor in the production of post-traumatic enophthalmos.