title: Semi-closed reduction of tripod fractures of  zygoma under intraoperative assessment  using ultrasonography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We conducted semi-closed reduction of isolated tripod fractures of the zygoma through only a brow incision under intraoperative assessment with ultrasonography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three patients with unilateral, non-comminuted tripod fractures of zygoma were selected for application of this method at Tokyo Women's Medical University and Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo General Hospital between April 2002 and April 2006. Patients with orbital floor blowout fractures were excluded. A skin incision was made only at the lateral brow region and the reduction was performed by inserting an elevator beneath the zygomatic arch. The bone alignment was intraoperatively assessed by ultrasonography. When the reduction was accurate, the frontozygomatic suture was immobilised with a mini-plate under direct visualisation and transmaler Kirshner wire fixation was performed. The accuracy of the reduction and postoperative movement were evaluated by computed tomography (CT) scans taken at 1 and 6 months. In five cases, the DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) data from the CT were analysed with 3D imaging software (V-works, CyberMed Co., Korea).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all cases, accurate reduction was obtained. The analysis of the 3D imaging data revealed that postoperative movement of bone fragment was minimal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When the accurate reduction was obtained under intraoperative assessment, the semi-closed reduction and one-plate fixation with transmaler Kirshner wire is enough to treat the simple tripod fractures of zygoma. This method is minimally invasive and takes less operative time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan. kasoejim@cup.ocn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Kazutaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Soejima
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Motohiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nozaki
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitazawa
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaki
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kono