Percutaneous approach to isolated zygomatic arch fractures. Personal experience

Aim. The ­authors ­present ­their expe­ri­ence ­gained ­from the reduc­tion of zygo­mat­ic ­arch frac­tures by ­means of the ­closed per­cut­ane­ous reduc­tion tech­nique. Methods. During the peri­od January 1994 - December 2002, 293 ­patients ­with frac­tures of the orbi­to-max­il­lo-mal­ar com­plex ­were treat­ed, of ­which 45 ­were iso­lat­ed frac­tures of the zygo­mat­ic ­arch. Patients ­with ­this ­type of frac­ture under­went sur­gery ­under ­local anaesthe­sia, ­which was per­formed by ­means of the ­closed per­cut­ane­ous reduc­tion tech­nique ­through the sub-zygo­mat­ic way, accord­ing to the tech­nique ­described by Fiamminghi. Results. From the ­total of 45 ­patients treat­ed by ­means of ­this tech­nique ­only 2 com­pli­ca­tions ­were expe­ri­enced (4.45%); incom­plete reduc­tion in one ­instance and sia­loa­de­nitis of the parot­id ­gland in the oth­er. Conclusion. Comparing ­this ­easy, ­swift and low-­cost meth­od to oth­er ­more expen­sive and com­plex tech­niques, ­which ­also ­call for a gen­er­al anaesthesia, ­this pro­ce­dure is rec­om­mend­ed as a ­first ­choice for iso­lat­ed zygo­mat­ic ­arch frac­tures.