How COVID-19 Changed Our Management of Nasal Bone Fractures and Its Impact on Patient Outcomes-A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVES: Nasal bone fractures are a common presentation to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeon. Simple, closed fractures are assessed and considered for closed manipulation under anesthesia (MUA #nasal bones). Most departments perform this under general anesthesia (GA). Our protocol changed in the face of COVID-19, where procedures were alternatively performed under local anesthesia (LA) in the clinic, to cope with lack of elective theater capacity during the pandemic, while still allowing a nasal fracture service to take place. We present postoperative patient outcomes on breathing and shape, comparing GA versus LA. METHODS: Patient records retrospectively analyzed (January 2020-August 2020), and patients undergoing MUA #nasal bones interviewed by telephone after one month. Exclusion criteria were open injuries or depressed nasal bones requiring elevation. Breathing and shape scores were evaluated subjectively using a Likert scale (1 = very unsatisfied, 5 = very satisfied). RESULTS: Two hundred five nasal injury referrals were made (21 MUA #nasal bones under GA and 27 under LA). Manipulation under anesthesia #nasal bones significantly improved both breathing satisfaction scores (GA; 2.88 ± 0.24 to 4.06 ± 0.23, P < 0.05; LA; 2.86 ± 0.22 to 3.77 ± 0.27, P < 0.05) and aesthetic scores (GA; 2.00 ± 0.21 to 3.94 ± 0.23, P < 0.05; LA; 1.64 ± 0.19 to 3.59 ± 0.28, P < 0.05) in both GA and LA groups. There was no statistically significant difference between LA and GA in postoperative outcomes. There was a trend toward greater satisfaction for GA, though this was not statistically significant and may be impacted by the rate of cartilaginous deformity in the LA group. Both techniques were well tolerated and most patients would repeat the procedure in hindsight. CONCLUSIONS: Local anesthesia could provide a safer, cheaper, and satisfactory alternative for performing MUA #nasal bones in the clinic for selected patients, particularly with reduction of elective theater capacity in the event of further COVID-19 surges. We recommend training junior ENT surgeons to perform this procedure under supervision with adequate protective measures.

A Rare Case of Spontaneous Intrauterine Skull Fracture.

Skull fractures are rare in newborns and normally caused by maternal abdominal trauma or complicated deliveries. However, in rare cases, these fractures are found in neonates born after an uneventful pregnancy and delivery. We report a case of a primigravida who underwent cesarean delivery due to failure of descent and malpositioning of the fetal head. After birth, a right temporoparietal fracture and congenital muscular torticollis were diagnosed. The newborn's blood tests showed hypocalcemia and relative hypoparathyroidism. Both mother and newborn presented low vitamin D levels. Serial imaging control showed gradual resolution of the lesions, with the newborn being discharged at the 10th day of life with vitamin D supplementation. This is an interesting case because the combination of three conditions - maternal and fetal hypovitaminosis D, congenital torticollis and malposition of the cephalic pole during labor - may have synergistically contributed to a spontaneous intrauterine skull fracture.

As fraturas do crânio são raras em recém-nascidos, sendo mais comummente causadas por trauma abdominal ou como complicação do parto. Contudo, em casos mais raros, estas fraturas são encontradas isoladamente, sem associação a intercorrências da gravidez ou do parto. Apresentamos o caso de uma primigesta submetida a cesariana por ausência de descida da apresentação e mau posicionamento da mesma no canal de parto. Após o nascimento, foi diagnosticada fratura temporoparietal direita e torcicolo congénito. Analiticamente, o recém-nascido apresentava hipocalcemia e hipoparatiroidismo relativo. A díade mãe - recém-nascido apresentaram hipovitaminose D. Estudos imagiológicos seriados demonstraram resolução gradual das lesões, possibilitando a alta do recém-nascido ao 10º dia de vida com suplementação de vitamina D. Este caso é interessante porque se conjugam três condições ­ hipovitaminose D materna e fetal, torcicolo congénito e má orientação do polo cefálico ­ que, conjuntamente, podem ter contribuído para a ocorrência de fratura craniana intrauterina espontânea.

Nasal fractures: a dedicated clinic providing reduction under local anaesthesia improves time to manipulation.

INTRODUCTION: Guidelines for nasal injury state that assessment should be at 7-10 days post-injury and manipulation within 14 days. We performed a plan, do, study, act improvement cycle to assess whether a dedicated nasal fracture service led to better outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out of all patients undergoing manipulation under anaesthesia for nasal trauma between February 2013 and December 2016 in a district general hospital. A dedicated nasal fracture clinic providing manipulation under local anaesthesia was implemented followed by a prospective study of all patients presenting to the clinic between February and November 2017. Main outcome measures included time from injury to otolaryngology assessment, time from injury to manipulation and incidence of secondary septorhinoplasty. RESULTS: The retrospective series involved 525 patients including 381 males (72.6%) and 144 females (27.4%). Mean time from injury to assessment was 10 days. Mean time from injury to surgery was 14.5 days. Mean time from assessment to surgery was five days. The incidence of septorhinoplasty was 2.3%. The prospective series involved 119 patients including 78 males (65.5%) and 41 females (34.5%). Following implementation of a nasal fracture clinic, mean time from injury to assessment and manipulation was 6.1 days and 5.4% of patients underwent septorhinoplasty for secondary deformity. DISCUSSION: Implementation of a nasal fracture clinic providing reduction under local anaesthesia reduced the time to assessment and manipulation. The incidence of septorhinoplasty is low following reduction under general or local anaesthesia. Assessment earlier than seven days is feasible and advice for referral can be changed accordingly.

The Efficacy of Hyaluronidase in Early Surgery of Nasal Bone Fracture.

A nasal bone fracture is one of the most common facial injuries and is often treated by closed reduction. Typically, 2 to 3 weeks are needed for patients to return to daily life because the operation is performed after swelling around the fracture site is reduced. This study aimed to investigate that hyaluronidase injection could reduce swelling, perform early operation and return to daily life accelerated.From January 2017 to December 2017, 181 patients with nasal bone fracture were analyzed. 60 patients underwent hyaluronidase injection and massage to reduce edema, then performed surgery within 2 to 4 days. The remaining patients were treated conservatively (massage alone); they then underwent surgery. Ultrasonography was used to measure changes in skin thickness, and the treatment duration, outcome, and patient satisfaction were compared.The duration from injury to surgery was short in the early operation group, and the period of recovery and return to ordinary life was significantly shorter than in the conventional group. The difference in skin thickness after hyaluronidase injection and massage was 0.8 mm in the early operation group; there was no significant difference in the conventional group. There was no statistically significant difference in satisfaction between the 2 groups, but the mean satisfaction was higher in the early operation group.In patients with nasal bone fracture after facial trauma, hyaluronidase injection, and massage led to reduced edema. This might improve patient satisfaction by allowing earlier operation and earlier return to daily life.

Endonasal Infiltrative Anesthesia for Nasal Fracture Reduction.

This study investigated the use of endonasal infiltrative anesthesia for the management of pain associated with nasal bone fracture reduction. Fifty-two patients with nasal bone fractures were distributed in 2 groups. In the first group, topical endonasal anesthesia and external transcutaneous infiltrative anesthesia were employed. In the second group, endonasal infiltrative anesthesia was also added. Visual analog scale pain scores related to the different steps of the procedure were registered. The addition of endonasal infiltrative anesthesia was associated with a significant decrease (p < .05) in pain during reduction maneuvers (6.71 vs. 4.83) and nasal packing (5.18 vs. 3.46). Addition of endonasal infiltrative anesthesia is an effective method of pain reduction during nasal bone fracture treatment.

Violence in the Early Bronze Age. Diagnosis of skull lesions using anthropological, taphonomic and scanning electron microscopy techniques.

In this paper we present the study of a skull belonging to a young male from the Italian Bronze Age showing three perimortem injuries on the frontal and parietal bones; the peculiarity of the frontal injury is represented by its singular shape, which may be indicative of the weapon that caused the lesion. The aim of the present study is to examine the traumatic evidence in relation to possible etiological factors, in order to attempt to establish if the lesion occurred peri or post-mortem, and to evaluate if these traumatic injuries could be interpreted as an evidence of interpersonal violence, by combining anthropological, taphonomic and ESEM investigations. The combination of multidisciplinary methods of study can provide important new insights into inter-personal violence.

Projectile, blunt, or sharp force trauma? A facial lesion on a Bronze Age skull from Uglemose, Denmark.

This study presents and discusses the differential diagnosis of a unique case of facial trauma. The adult male skull was excavated in 1948 from Uglemose (Owl Bog) outside of Birket, on the island of Lolland (Denmark). Carbon-14 samples from an adult tibia excavated with the skull dates to the end of the Danish Bronze Age and transition period into the pre-Roman Iron Age. The skull shows a traumatic ante-mortem lesion to the left maxilla, directly below the orbit, that opens into the maxillary sinus. The left margin of the injury is slightly rounded and angled into the lesion while the right margin is pulled out from the lesion and has a much sharper border, suggesting a directional force from left to right. A previous assessment of the lesion suggested that projectile trauma caused the injury, but the lesion does not conclusively demonstrate features of projectile trauma. CT scans and 3D visualization of the skull show no evidence of structural changes to the maxillary sinus to support a conclusion of projectile trauma. Differential diagnosis through macroscopic and microscopic analysis of the lesion would suggest rapid blunt force or slow sharp force trauma as a potential etiology. The aim of this case study is to discuss the potential mechanisms of injury, including type of trauma as well as accidental versus intentional etiologies.

The Role of Forensic Botany in Solving a Case: Scientific Evidence on the Falsification of a Crime Scene.

Forensic botany can provide useful information for pathologists, particularly on crime scene investigation. We report the case of a man who arrived at the hospital and died shortly afterward. The body showed widespread electrical lesions. The statements of his brother and wife about the incident aroused a large amount of suspicion in the investigators. A crime scene investigation was carried out, along with a botanical morphological survey on small vegetations found on the corpse. An autopsy was also performed. Botanical analysis showed some samples of Xanthium spinosum, thus leading to the discovery of the falsification of the crime scene although the location of the true crime scene remained a mystery. The botanical analysis, along with circumstantial data and autopsy findings, led to the discovery of the real crime scene and became crucial as part of the legal evidence regarding the falsity of the statements made to investigators.

Comparison of Postoperative Outcomes Between Monitored Anesthesia Care and General Anesthesia in Closed Reduction of Nasal Fracture.

Fracture of nasal bone is among the most common facial bone fractures. Reduction of nasal bone fracture is able to be performed under local or general anesthesia. The aim of this study is to compare monitored anesthetic care (MAC) and general anesthesia (GA) based on intraoperative vital signs, and the adverse effects after closed reduction of nasal bone fractures.The authors performed a retrospective study of 45 patients who underwent a closed reduction of nasal bone fracture between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. Patients are divided into an MAC group (n = 17) or GA group (n = 28). A sore throat, postoperative pain scores, nausea, vomiting, hospital stay, operation time, and the result of surgery are compared between the groups. All the patients have interviewed their satisfaction of aesthetic and functional outcome.The operation time and hospital stay were lower in the MAC group. There is no difference in a sore throat, postoperative pain score, and the result of surgery significantly. In the MAC and GA groups, there was no statistically significant difference in the postoperative cosmetic and functional satisfaction scores.Closed reduction of nasal bone fracture using MAC is as safe and efficient as GA. However, MAC anesthesia may not be feasible if airway discomfort due to bleeding is expected, or fracture is severe and multiple manipulations are required. Therefore, MAC is considered to be a good alternative when patients undergoing short-term or small operations do not prefer general anesthesia.

The effect of light-emitting diode (590/830 nm)-based low-level laser therapy on posttraumatic edema of facial bone fracture patients.

PURPOSE: Posttraumatic edema in facial bone fracture patients may interfere with the operation field and delay the schedule. Thus, swiftly reducing the edema alleviates patient discomfort and advances the operation date. Ice packing and compression bandages are often used for such a purpose, but such methods are often inconvenient for the face. In this study, we aim to analyze the effect of light-emitting diode (LED) (590/830 nm)-based low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in posttraumatic edema in facial bone fracture patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 40 patients who were admitted to a single institution for facial bone fracture. The patients were divided into two groups of 20 each, treated either with LLLT or with sham treatment light. We used an LLLT device that consists of planar LED-based arrays with double wavelengths 590 nm and 830 nm. The patients were treated with either true or sham light from posttraumatic day 1-5, twice a day. After each treatment, the volume of a patient's face was measured with a 3-dimensional camera. We analyzed and compared the changes in facial edema. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was conducted for statistical comparison of the two groups, and significance was set to the level of p < 0.05. RESULTS: The sex ratio and mean age of the two groups were of little difference. The fracture sites included the nasal bone, orbital wall, zygomaticomaxillary bone, mandible, and frontal sinus. Mechanisms of injury included fall, assault, traffic accident, sports, and gunshot. The total operation rate of both groups was equal to 85%. Our analysis showed a 16.5% reduction of edema in the LLLT group and 7.3% in the sham light group. The edema reduction was statistically significantly greater in the LLLT group than in the sham light group (p < 0.047). CONCLUSION: LED-based LLLT is recently receiving attention worldwide for its cost-effectiveness and large coverage area compared to traditional laser therapy. Recent studies support its effectiveness in various areas such as wound healing, skin rejuvenation, and pain alleviation. In this study, we treated facial bone fracture patients with LED-based LLLT, and showed its effectiveness in reducing posttraumatic edema.

An accident at work? Traumatic lesions in the skeleton of a 4th millennium BCE "wagon driver" from Sharakhalsun, Russia.

The study of ante-mortem trauma is a popular and important aspect of palaeopathological analysis. The majority of publications focus on a particular assemblage, skeletal element or type of fracture, with case studies of single individuals with multiple/unusual traumata being much rarer in the literature. This paper presents the case of an adult male from the Bronze Age site of Sharakhalsun, Russia, buried, uniquely, in a sitting position on a fully assembled wagon, who displayed evidence for multiple healed ante-mortem fractures of the cranium, axial and appendicular skeleton. The mechanisms and likely etiologies of the fractures are presented, with reference to modern and 19th century clinical literature, and possible interpretations suggested: that the individual was involved in a severe accident involving a wagon or draft animals, or both, a number of years before his death. The suggestion is also made that the unique burial position of the individual was a form of commemoration by the community of the survival and recovery of the individual from such a serious incident.

Enhanced bone formation by strontium modified calcium sulfate hemihydrate in ovariectomized rat critical-size calvarial defects.

The development of a new generation of biomaterials with high osteogenic ability for treatment of osteoporotic fractures is being intensively investigated. The objective of this paper was to investigate new bone formation in an ovariectomized rat (OVX rat) calvarial model of critical size bone defects filled with Sr-containing α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate (SrCSH) cement compared to an α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate (α-CSH) cement and empty defect. X-ray diffraction analysis verified the partial substitution of Sr2+ for Ca2+ did not change the phase composition of α-CSH. Scanning electron microscopy showed that Sr-substituted α-CSH significantly increased the surface roughness. The effects of Sr substitution on the biological properties of SrCSH cement were evaluated by adhesion, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of osteoblast-like cells MC3T3-E1. The results showed that SrCSHs enhanced MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation, differentiation, and ALP activity. Furthermore, SrCSH cement was used to repair critical-sized OVX rat calvarial defects. The in vivo results revealed that SrCSH had good osteogenic capability and stimulated new blood vessel formation in a critical sized OVX calvarial defect within 12 weeks, suggesting that SrCSH cement has more potential for application in bone tissue regeneration.

A QI Initiative to Reduce Hospitalization for Children With Isolated Skull Fractures.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although children with isolated skull fractures rarely require acute interventions, most are hospitalized. Our aim was to safely decrease the hospitalization rate for children with isolated skull fractures. METHODS: We designed and executed this multifaceted quality improvement (QI) initiative between January 2008 and July 2015 to reduce hospitalization rates for children ≤21 years old with isolated skull fractures at a single tertiary care pediatric institution. We defined an isolated skull fracture as a skull fracture without intracranial injury. The QI intervention consisted of 2 steps: (1) development and implementation of an evidence-based guideline, and (2) dissemination of a provider survey designed to reinforce guideline awareness and adherence. Our primary outcome was hospitalization rate and our balancing measure was hospital readmission within 72 hours. We used standard statistical process control methodology to assess change over time. To assess for secular trends, we examined admission rates for children with an isolated skull fracture in the Pediatric Health Information System administrative database. RESULTS: We identified 321 children with an isolated skull fracture with a median age of 11 months (interquartile range 5-16 months). The baseline admission rate was 71% (179/249, 95% confidence interval, 66%-77%) and decreased to 46% (34/72, 95% confidence interval, 35%-60%) after implementation of our QI initiative. No child was readmitted after discharge. The admission rate in our secular trend control group remained unchanged at 78%. CONCLUSIONS: We safely reduced the hospitalization rate for children with isolated skull fractures without an increase in the readmissions.

Adding Injury to Insult: A National Analysis of Combat Sport-Related Facial Injury.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To estimate the incidence of patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs) for facial trauma sustained from participation in combat sports and evaluate injury patterns and patient demographics. METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was evaluated for facial injuries from wrestling, boxing, and martial arts leading to ED visits from 2008 to 2013. Relevant entries were examined for injury mechanism, location, type, as well as other patient characteristics. RESULTS: There were 1143 entries extrapolating to an estimated 42 395 ED visits from 2008 to 2013. Injury rates for boxing, marital arts, and wrestling were, respectively, 44, 56, and 120 injuries per 100 000 participants. Males comprised the majority (93.7%). A plurality of injuries involved lacerations (46.0%), followed by fractures (26.2%) and contusions/abrasions (19.3%). The proportion of fractures was highest among boxers (36.9%). Overall, the most common mechanisms of injury were punching, kicking, and head butting. CONCLUSIONS: The significant number of ED visits resulted from combat sports facial trauma, reinforcing the importance of familiarity with injury patterns among practitioners managing facial trauma. As most injuries involve individuals younger than 19 despite guidelines suggesting children and adolescents avoid combat sports, these findings may be used for patient education and encouragement of the use of personal protective equipment. Furthermore, injury patterns reported in this analysis may serve as an adjunct for enhancing clinical history taking and physical examination.

Facial nerve stimulation associated with cochlear implant use following temporal bone fractures.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence and management of patients with facial nerve stimulation (FNS) associated with cochlear implant (CI) use in the setting of a prior temporal bone fracture. PATIENTS: One adult CI recipient is reported who experienced implant associated FNS with a history of a temporal bone fracture. Additionally, a literature search was performed to identify similar patients from previous descriptions of CI related FNS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence of FNS after implantation and ability to modify implant programming to avoid FNS. RESULTS: The patient in the present report experienced FNS for middle and basal electrodes during intraoperative neural response telemetry (NRT) in the absence of any surgical exposure or manipulation of the facial nerve. FNS was absent during device activation, but it recurred during follow-up programming sessions. However, additional programming has prevented further FNS during regular implant use. Four other patients with FNS after temporal bone fracture were identified from the literature, and the present case represents the one of two cases in which reprogramming allowed for implant use without FNS. CONCLUSIONS: CI associated FNS is uncommon in patients with a history of a temporal bone fracture, but it is likely that fracture lines provide a lower impedance pathway to the adjacent facial nerve and thus reduce the threshold for FNS. The present report suggests that, in the setting of a prior temporal bone fracture, NRT is not always a reliable predictor of FNS during implant use, and programming changes can help to mitigate FNS when it occurs.