7. Maxillofacial Trauma Flashcards
(116 cards)
Glasgow Coma Scale
Objective measure of patient’s neurological status and used serially to track clinical progress.
Patients >5yo
Score 8 or less, early airway protection is encouraged
Minimum score is 3
Eye Opening
1 no response
2 to pain only
3 to verbal stimuli, command, speech
4 spontaneous opening with blinking
Verbal Response
1 no response
2 incomprehensible
3 inappropriate words
4 confused conversation but able to answer
5 oriented
Motor Response
1 no response
2 extension in response (decerebrate posturing)
3 flexion in response (decorticate posturing)
4 withdraws in response to pain
5 purposeful movement to pain
6 obeys commands for movement
What are the classes of hemorrhagic shock and how much blood loss can be expected with each?
1 <750
2 750-1500
3 1500-2000
4 >2000
Severity of head injury based on GCS
Severe head injury/coma GCS 8 or less
Moderate head injury GCS 9-12
Mild head injury GCS 13-15
Denotation of “T” after the score is applied to intubated patient
Describe the zones of the neck for penetrating trauma
Zone 1: thoracic inlet to cricoid cartilage
Zone 2: cricoid cartilage to angle of the mandible
Zone 3: angle of the mandible to base of skull
Define load bearing vs. load sharing
Load bearing is hardware of sufficient strength to bear the entire load
-Plates and screws immobilize fractured segments. Thicker, rigid plates with bicortical screws or lag screws. 3 screws on each segment.
Load sharing is unable to bear all functional load across fracture
- Miniplates and monocortical screws along lines of osteosynthesis as described by Champy
What is the ideal line of osteosynthesis of the mandible?
Described by Maxime Champy 1976: a line around the mandible where plating the tension and compression forces are balanced, thus offering the best biomechanical advantage for positioning of plates and screws
Non-locking plates/screws
Plates must be adapted intimately to the bone. Compression of the plate onto the bone may cause bone resorption under the plate.
Locking plates/screws
Screws lock into the plate while it is being tightened. Does not require a perfect adaptation of the plate to the bone. Plate bears the load of mechanical forces.
General approach to facial trauma patient
Mechanism of injury, LOC
Confirm ATLS/PALS has been performed w/ appropriate consultations
C spine evaluation and clearance
Physical exam: GCS
Facial asymmetry, lacerations
Cranial nerve exam II-XII
Paresthesias V1, V2, V3
Ocular movements, pupillary reaction, diplopia, intraocular pressure, proptosis, dystopia, enophthalmos, periorbital ecchymosis, telecanthus
Ecchymosis behind ears (Battle’s sign), otorrhea, eval tympanic membrane
Midface loss of projection, edema, step deformities
Nose for asymmetry, septal hematoma, bleeding
Jaws for range deviations on opening, step deformities, hematoma, intraoral lacerations
Muscle action classification for mandible fractures
Vertically favorable = resistance to medial pull
Horizontally favorable = resistance to upward movement
Contraindications for closed reduction of the mandible
Alcoholics, seizure disorders, mental retardation, nutritional concerns, respiratory diseases (COPD), unfavorable fractures
Considerations for edentulous mandible fractures
Decreased bone height, decreased buttressing effect
Significant effect of muscular pull (digastrics)
Biological differences = dependent on periosteal (centripetal) blood flow. Delayed healing, decreased ability to heal with age
Tx: circummandibular wires fixated to piriform rims and circum zygomatic wires with patient’s denture or Gunning style splints. Requires IMF with longer periods due to age.
Open reduction >20mm mandible treated as dentate mandible. Load bearing plates. Bone grafts commonly incorporated.
Indications for open reduction of condylar fractures
Zide’s absolute indications:
1. middle cranial fossa involvement with disability
2. inability to achieve occlusion with closed reduction
3. invasion of joint space by foreign body
4. lateral capsule violation and displacement
Zide’s relative indications:
1. bilateral condylar fractures where vertical facial height needs to be restored
2. associated injuries that dictate early or immediate function
3. medical conditions that indicate open procedures
4. delayed treatment with misalignment of segments
When to remove teeth in the line of fracture
- Gross mobility
- Periapical pathology
- Preventing reduction
- Roots with a fracture
- Exposed root
- Delay in repair from time of fracture
- Recurrent infection at fracture site despite antibiotic therapy
LeFort classifications
LeFort I: horizontal fracture above apices of maxillary dentition across nasal septum and maxillary sinuses. Posteriorly extends through pyramidal process of palatine bone and pterygoid processes of sphenoid bone. May also involve fracture of the palate.
LeFort II: pyramidal fracture extends from nasofrontal region down through medial orbital wall, drossing infraorbital rim and zygomatic buttresses. Posteriorly similar to LF1.
LeFort III: complete craniofacial disjunction with fracture lines through nasofrontal junction, zygomaticofrontal articulations, zygomaticomaxillary suture, temporozygomatic suture, pterygomaxillary junction, medial and lateral orbital walls, and superior articulation of nasal septum.
Usually mixed combination.
Four key areas to evaluate for LeFort fractures on CT
- Pterygoid plates (strong indication of LeFort fracture)
- Lateral margin of nasal fossa (LeFort I)
- Inferior orbital rim (LeFort II)
- Zygomatic arch (LeFort III)
Principles of LeFort fracture management
-Non-displaced fractures without clinical compromise = soft diet with observation & soft diet or 4-6 weeks IMF
- Edentulous patients open treatment or observation
Treat as soon as possible. Longer open or compound fractures are untreated, greater incidence of infection and malunion.
- Fixate fractures to allow immobilization and optimal healing
- Use buttresses for fixation
- Restore preoperative occlusion
- Ensure to treat nasal complex and orbital fractures as indicated
Four articulations of the zygoma
Where is the weakest portion of the zygomatic arch?
- frontozygomatic
- zygomaticomaxillary
- zygomaticosphenoid
- zygomaticotemporal
Weakest portion of the zygomatic arch is not the zygomaticotemporal suture, but a point 1.5cm posterior to this.
Recommended sequence of fixation for ZMC fractures
- Fixate frontozygomatic region first to restore facial height of the complex
- Fixate zygomaticomaxillary buttress region to restore facial projection and ensure that the medially rotated body is back in its normal anatomical position
- Fixate the orbital rim to define orbital volume and facial volume
- Orbital floor should be managed last as it is critical that the aforementioned sites are placed back into alignment to prevent enophthalmos and facial widening
Alignment of the sphenozygomatic suture is a good indicator of the three-dimensional position of the zygoma.
Bones of the orbit
- Orbital roof (2 bones)
- Lateral wall (2 bones)
- Orbital floor (3 bones)
- Medial wall (4 bones)
Orbital roof: frontal and lesser wings of sphenoid
Lateral wall: greater wing of sphenoid and zygomatic bone
Orbital floor: maxillary bone, zygomatic bone, and palatine bone
Medial wall: frontal process of maxillary, ethmoid (lamina papyracea), lacrimal, and sphenoid bones
Contents of the superior orbital fissure
CN III, IV, VI
Sensory nerve V1
Sympathetic fibers
Superior ophthalmic vein
Recurrent and middle meningeal artery
Separates greater and lesser wings of sphenoid
Delineates between orbital roof and lateral orbital wall
Contents of the inferior orbital fissure
Sensory nerve V2, parasympathetic branch of the pterygopalatine ganglion, and inferior ophthalmic vein
Contents of the optic canal
Optic nerve, ophthalmic artery, sympathetic fibers
Whitnall’s tubercle
10mm below FZ suture and 3-4mm inside the lateral orbital rim.
Attachments: (1) lateral horn of levator aponeurosis, (2) lateral canthal tendon of the eyelids, (3) Lockwood’s ligament, (4) check ligaments
All four of these comprise the lateral retinaculum