title: Mucociliary clearance and sense of smell following management of Le Fort maxilla fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess mucociliary transport and olfaction in patients after Le Fort fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one patients were enrolled who had sustained a Le Fort fracture during the preceding five years. Control group consisted of students. Olfaction and mucociliary transport were examined in all subjects. A capillary with saccharine was placed on the inferior nasal concha, and time was recorded in which the subject tasted sweetness in the mouth. Results were subject to statistical analysis. Patients with allergy, sinus disease and smokers were excluded from the examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Disturbance of mucociliary transport and olfaction turned out to be statistically dependent on the type of fracture and management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Le Fort fracture might be complicated by compromised mucociliary clearance and olfactory disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Silesian Medical Academy, Tychy, Poland. stomgab@wp.pl
authors.forename: Iwona Anna
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Niedzielska
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wróbel
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wziatek
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bazarnik
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drugacz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001692:Biological Transport; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008440:Maxillary Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance / Q000502:physiology*; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000503:physiopathology