Treatment of noncomminuted zygomatic fractures with percutaneous screw reduction and fixation

The standard treatment modality of zygomatic fractures is open reduction and rigid fixation of the fractured segments. Although most of the zygomatic fractures deserve this attentive surgical manipulation to prevent late residual asymmetry, minimally depressed noncomminuted zygomatic fractures can be reduced and fixed percutaneously. Percutaneous intervention causes minimal scarring and morbidity than open techniques and it is possible to align fragments precisely by using high-quality three-dimensional computed tomography (3-D CT) imaging. Six patients with noncomminuted fractures of the zygomaticomaxillary skeleton were evaluated with plain radiographs of facial bones, axial, coronal and 3-D CT. Reduction of the displaced bone segments were achieved by traction of percutaneously applied screw. Either reduced segments were not fixated at all or one of the two new fixation techniques, described in detail in the article, were used for stabilization of reduced segments. In all patients, accurate reduction was obtained. None of the patients showed any recurrent displacement or infection during the follow-up period of six months. The screws were removed in the clinical settings without difficulty. Although percutaneous reduction and external fixation of noncomminuted zygomatic fractures has limited indications, it has its own advantages over open techniques. This method is a less invasive technique and can be performed without any problem in selected cases. Our technique is not suitable for complex zygomatic and periorbital fractures.