Correlation between clinical findings and CT-measured displacement in patients with fractures of the zygomaticomaxillary complex.

Background: This prospective clinical study aimed to analyse the influence of displacement on duration and severity of symptoms of fractures of the zygomaticomaxillary complex.

Methods: 47 patients, who received surgical treatment of zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Jena were examined preoperatively, 1, 3 and 10 days as well as 6 months post-operation for ophthalmologic, occlusal and neurosensory changes.

Results: Preoperatively, periorbital haematoma and ooedema were present in 76.6% and 31.9% of the patients, which increased until day 1 post-op and decreased until the end of hospital stay. Preoperative diplopia was present in 83.0% of the patients and resolved postoperatively in all but 3 cases, in whom it persisted until end of the study. Occlusal disturbances and limited mouth opening were present in 21.3% of the patients and resolved by end of the study in all but 2 cases. Neither ophthalmologic nor occlusal changes correlated with the degree of displacement. Postoperatively no significant differences were detectable among the groups. In 44.8% of the patients neurosensory disturbances persisted until end of the follow-up. In the non-displaced fracture group none of the patients suffered from neurosensory disturbances at the 6-month follow-up.

Conclusion: Although the degree of displacement has a significant impact on the incidence of sensory disturbances preoperatively, postoperatively no differences were observed between displaced and non-displaced fractures.