Surgical treatment of gunshot injuries to the mandible.
OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to review and identify risk factors for complications from treatment of mandible fractures due to gunshot wounds. Study design and setting We conducted a retrospective review of treatment outcomes in 90 patients with gunshot wounds to the mandible treated over a 10-year period at 2 tertiary care centers.


RESULTS
Our series of 90 patients with mandibular injuries due to gunshot wounds included 68 patients who underwent surgical procedures on the mandible. There were 14 complications in this group. Complications were more common in patients whose mandibles were rigidly fixated; however, these patients' injuries were more severe. Complications were significantly increased in patients who lost a segment of mandible in the injury.


CONCLUSIONS
Complications were related to severity of injury and independent of treatment modality.


CONCLUSIONS
The complication rate for patients with gunshot injuries can be very high, particularly if bone is missing. Stabilization of remaining mandibular segments with potentially multiple subsequent reconstructive procedures is often required to restore mandibular continuity in these patients.
Newlands
Shawn D
SD
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Texas Medical Branch, TX 77555-0521, USA. sdnewlan@utmb.edu
Samudrala
Sreedhar
S
Katzenmeyer
W Kevin
WK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008338:Mandibular Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000601:surgery*