Causes and management of zygomatic bone fractures at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital Karachi (analysis of 82 patients).

Objectives: To assess the causes and management of Zygomatic bone fractures at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi.

Methods: This study was carried out at Department of Oral & Maxillofacial surgery Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi. A total of 82 cases were studied. A detailed history was taken, clinical examination was performed and fractures were confirmed by radiography. Management of fractures was done by using different proposed modalities, suitable for every case. A number of factors, like age of patients, causes of trauma and gender were assessed.

Results: The commonest cause of Zygomatic bone fracture was found to be road traffic accident (RTA) 50% (n = 41), followed by assault 23.17% (n = 19), fall 20.73% (n = 17), sports injuries 3.65% (n = 3), and others 2.43% (n = 2) respectively. Right side (55%) was involved a little more than the left side (45%). Zygomatic bone fracture was more prevalent in age group between 21-30 years, while male to female ratio was 5.30:1. Remote reduction using Gillie's Temporal Approach with and without fixation using bone plates were the commonest management modalities used in this center.

Conclusion: The commonest cause of Zygomatic bone fracture was found to be road traffic accident, with the right side fractures being more common. It reveals poor road traffic sense in road users, lack of road safety measures and legislation in our population.