Recovery of the infraorbital nerve after zygomatic complex fractures: A preliminary study of different treatment methods

Abstract

The infraorbital nerve (ION) is often involved in trauma to the zygomatic complex (ZC), resulting in sensory disturbance of the area innervated by it. The purpose of the study was to compare the incidence of persistent sensory disturbance after recovery from isolated simple fractures of the ZC, with four treatment methods: 1) closed reduction via subcutaneous approach without fixation; 2) open reduction via subcutaneous approach without fixation; 3) open reduction via oroantral approach and support of the complex by an intraantral Foley catheter; and 4) open reduction via Gillies approach with fixation of the frontozygomatic (FZ) fracture with wire osteosynthesis, and open reduction via Gillies approach with fixation of the FZ fracture with miniplate osteosynthesis. Analysis revealed that patients treated with miniplate osteosynthesis exhibited a trend for higher recovery rate of the (ION) than with the other three methods. No significant differences were found among the other three methods.