The Journal of craniofacial surgery
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We present a case of orbital fracture associated with emphysema and pneumocephalus caused by a high-pressured air injection in the eyeball. A 49-year-old man injured his right eye while working with a high-pressure (compressed) air jet in a workshop. The periorbital area was swollen and ecchymotic. ⋯ Free air was also seen near the basal cistern and sylvian fissure, indicating a pneumocephalus. Our case proved a high pneumatic pressure could induce a fracture of the medial wall of the orbit. Green et al (Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg 1990;6:211-217) suggested that a consistent force of more than 2.08 J is enough to inflict injury on the orbital wall.
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The term "orbital blow-out fracture" is referred to as the mechanism by which an impact to the eyeball is transposed as a mechanical energy to the orbital walls, causing them to fracture. Despite a proper surgical technique, a successful anatomic reconstruction of the orbit, and an accurate follow-up, 3 complications are still frequently observed at long-term follow-up: diplopia, enophthalmos, and hypesthesia of the infraorbital nerve territory. In this retrospective study, we analyze the incidence, the specific characterization, and the potential risk factors of these 3 complications. ⋯ Although the surgical technique was executed properly and the immediate postoperative recovery was uneventful, diplopia, enophthalmos, and infraorbital nerve dysfunction were the frequent complications. We stress the fact that orbital blow-out fracture is generally not considered a technically demanding procedure, but the outcome can be very disappointing; the surgical procedure must be managed very carefully by experienced surgeons to lower the high rates of these 3 common complications. However, we can report that the incidence of diplopia, enophthalmos, and infraorbital nerve dysfunction are decreased by an immediate intervention and an early surgical repair of the orbital blow-out fracture. Patients who had surgery within 2 weeks of trauma have a lower risk to develop postoperative complications; this study supports an early surgical treatment of orbital blow-out fractures, when it is indicated.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of spring-mediated cranioplasty to minimally invasive strip craniectomy and barrel staving for early treatment of sagittal craniosynostosis.
The treatment of sagittal craniosynostosis has evolved from early strip craniectomy to total cranial vault remodeling and now back to attempts at minimally invasive correction. To optimize outcomes while minimizing morbidity, we currently use 2 methods of reconstruction in patients younger than 9 months: spring-mediated cranioplasty (SMC) and minimally invasive strip craniectomy with parietal barrel staving (SCPB). The purpose of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of the 2 methods. ⋯ Complications included 1 spring dislodgment in an SMC that did not require additional management and 1 undercorrection in the SCPB group. Both SMC and SCPB are safe, effective means of treating sagittal craniosynostosis. Spring-mediated cranioplasty has become our predominant means of treatment of scaphocephaly in patients younger than 9 months because of its improved morbidity profile.
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Comparative Study
Cranial reconstruction after decompressive craniectomy: prediction of complications using fuzzy logic.
Cranial reconstruction after decompressive craniectomy (DC) has been shown to be associated with a relatively high complication rate (16.4%-34%) compared with standard neurosurgical procedures (2%-5%). Most studies that have previously attempted to formulate a multivariate model for identifying factors predictive of postoperative complications of cranioplasty either were unsuccessful or yielded conflicting results. Therefore, fuzzy logic-based fuzzy inference system (FIS), which has proven to be a useful tool for risk prediction in medical and surgical conditions, was used in this study to identify predictors of complications of cranioplasty. ⋯ Our study shows that the procedure of cranioplasty is associated with a high complication rate and that FIS has a 100% sensitivity and specificity in predicting severe complications after cranioplasty. It will prove to be an invaluable tool for clinicians once the results are validated by a similar prospective study with a larger sample size.
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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the natural history of zygomatic fractures in 469 cases over 14 years. The medical records of patients seeking treatment for zygomatic fractures were reviewed. The zygomatic fractures were classified as monopod, dipod, or tripod fractures for most patients. ⋯ About 90% of the patients with diplopia improved within 2 months. Limitation of mouth opening was improved immediately after operation in most of the cases. Our findings demonstrate significant differences in the demographics and clinical presentation that will enable a more accurate diagnosis and prediction of concomitant injuries and sequelae.