title: The edentulous Le Fort fracture.
abstract: A retrospective review of 328 Le Fort fractures has identified 20 (6.1%) of these fractures as edentulous. A review of treatment of the patients was conducted. Conservative (nonsurgical treatment methods) and classic open reductions produce aesthetic and functional results that lead to posterior and oblique positioning of the maxillary occlusal segment in comminuted fractures. Attention to positioning the maxilla by relating it to the mandible through maxillomandibular fixation minimized these deformities. Establishing maxillary-mandibular relationships in edentulous fractures, therefore, seems to have the same importance as establishing occlusion in dentulous patients as an important initial step in the treatment of comminuted Le Fort fractures.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, Baltimore 21201, USA.
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Crawley
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Azman
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Slezak
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vander Kolk
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Manson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001860:Bone Plates; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D018460:Fractures, Comminuted / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016268:Internal Fixators; D019248:Jaw Fixation Techniques; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008440:Maxillary Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014716:Vertical Dimension