Retrospective Study over 15-years Period on Zygomathic arch Fractures: A Single Center Experience.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to do a retrospective analysis about patients with zygomatic arch who were treated at the department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Regional University Hospital of Ancona, Italy, between 2007 and 2021. Patients were evaluated based on various parameters including age, sex, aetiology, symptoms, comorbidity, clinical findings, zygomatic arch fracture type, other facial fractures, treatment, waiting time before the operation, complications and sequelae. In the period described we recorded 103 zygomatic arch fractures. Of the patients, 64 were male (65,92%) and 39 were female (34,08%). The average age of the patients was 47,02 years (ranging from 8 to 93 years). The leading cause of these fractures was sports-related injury (n = 24; 23,30%), and isolated zygomatic arch fractures were the most frequent (63,1%). The most common clinical signs and symptoms were, pain, depression of the facial profile, difficulty in chewing, limitation of the buccal opening, difficulty in protrusion movements and mandibular lateralization. 93% of patients underwent surgery under local anesthesia, almost exclusively patients undergoing an open approach to internal fixation. The successful and effective management of zygomatic arch fractures requires a solid understanding of its anatomy, pathophysiology and related biomechanical structures and forces. The continuous research in epidemiology, aetiology, materials and techniques will further refine our treatments which are nowadays more and more customized according to the type of trauma.