title: The use of a Kirschner wire in the treatment of a comminuted le fort I fracture: a case report.
abstract: Simultaneous fracture of the maxilla and cervical vertebrae rarely occurs in bicycling accidents. The following case report describes a simple technique for closed reduction of a severely comminuted maxillary fracture with shattering of the dentoalveolar process. The combination of a rigid external distractor halo frame on the skull, a Kirschner wire through the maxilla, and an intermaxillary wire fixation resulted in stable vertical and sagittal correction of the fragmented maxilla with adequate access and minimal manipulation and without necessitating removal of the cervical collar.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, St. John's Hospital, Genk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Griet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Temmerman
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Falter
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schepers
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vrielinck
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Orye
authors.forename: Constantinus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Politis