Characteristics of ballistic and blast injuries.

Ballistic injury wounds are formed by variable interrelated factors, such as the nature of the tissue, the compositional makeup of the bullet, distance to the target, and the velocity, shape, and mass of the of the projectile. This complex arrangement, with the ultimate outcome dependent on each other, makes the prediction of wounding potential difficult to assess. As the facial features are the component of the body most involved in a patient's personality and interaction with society, preservation of form, cosmesis, and functional outcome should remain the primary goals in the management of ballistic injury.

Long term ridge augmentation with rib graft.

Results of ten cases are reported to indicate the bone augmentation that may be expected in three to six years using transoral rib grafting. Some augmentation was present in all cases. This is an improvement over the continued resorption that would have taken place in these already thin mandibles.