title: Facial nerve palsy after mandibular fracture.
abstract: A 19-year-old man sustained a right parasymphyseal fracture and bilateral condylar neck fractures in a motor vehicle accident. The parasymphyseal fracture was treated by open reduction and internal fixation, and the subcondylar fractures were treated with closed reduction and maxillomandibular fixation. Three days postoperatively, a near-complete left facial nerve palsy developed. Facial nerve recovery was not full. The literature is reviewed, and possible mechanisms of this rare and devastating complication are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merx
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Antonyshyn
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farb
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed