Changing strategies in the treatment of maxillofacial fractures at thrace region: open vs closed reduction.

Objective: We aimed to analyze etiological factors in patients with maxillofacial trauma, treatment modalities, complications related to surgical approaches and the changing patterns in over time.

Materials And Methods: A total of 126 patients diagnosed as maxillofacial fractures between August 1998 and June 2012 were investigated in Corlu State Hospital, Ear Nose Throat and Plastic Surgery Clinics, retrospectively.

Results: Of the patients, 92 male (73.01%) and 34 female (26.98%), the mean age was 26.4 (± 14.88). Traffic accidents as a cause of fracture were detected in 47 (37.3%) cases. The other causes were assaults in 34 (26.98%), sport injuries in 23 (18.25%), fall from high in 12 (9.52%) and work-related accidents in 10 (7.93%) patients, respectively. In patients with maxillofacial fractures, 65 (51.58%) of them were nasal, 37 of them were (29.36%) mandible, 6 of them were (4.26%) maxilla, 8 of them (% 6.34) were isolated zygomatic arch fractures. Multiple fractures were detected only 10 patients (7.93%). As a surgical method, closed reduction in 75 (59.52%), open reduction and internal fixation in 29 (23.01%), inter-maxillary fixation with open reduction and internal fixation in 13 (10.31%) and only inter-maxillary fixation in 9 (7.14%) cases were performed. Complications were detected as 10.31% of patients in postoperatively.

Conclusion: Open and closed reduction techniques are safe and successful methods. While closed reduction of mandibular fractures was used as a surgical method previously, combined approaches are now being applied instead of it.