title: Maxillofacial trauma - Underestimation of cervical spine injury.
abstract: Undiagnosed cervical spine injury can have devastating results. The aim of this study was to analyse patients with primary maxillofacial trauma and a concomitant cervical spine injury. It is hypothetised that cervical spine injury is predictable in maxillofacial surgery. A monocentric clinical study was conducted over a 10-year period to analyse patients with primary maxillofacial and associated cervical spine injuries. Demographic data, mechanism of injury, specific trauma and treatments provided were reviewed. Additionally a search of relevant international literature was conducted in PubMed by terms "maxillofacial" AND "cervical spine" AND "injury". Of 3956 patients, n = 3732 (94.3%) suffered from craniomaxillofacial injuries only, n = 174 (4.4%) from cervical spine injuries only, and n = 50 (1.3%) from both craniomaxillofacial and cervical spine injuries. In this study cohort the most prevalent craniofacial injuries were: n = 41 (44%) midfacial and n = 21 (22.6%) skull base fractures. Cervical spine injuries primarily affected the upper cervical spine column: n = 39 (58.2%) vs. n = 28 (41.8%). Only in 3 of 50 cases (6%), the cervical spine injury was diagnosed coincidentally, and the cervical spine column was under immobilised. The operative treatment rate for maxillofacial injuries was 36% (n = 18), and for cervical spine injuries 20% (n = 10). The overall mortality rate was 8% (n = 4). The literature search yielded only 12 papers (11 retrospective and monocentric cohort studies) and is discussed before our own results. In cases of apparently isolated maxillofacial trauma, maxillofacial surgeons should be aware of a low but serious risk of underestimating an unstable cervical spine injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Plastic Maxillofacial Surgery, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube Str. 40, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany. Electronic address: waldemar.reich@medizin.uni-halle.de.
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reich
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Leipzig, Liebig Str. 20, 04103, Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: alexey.surov@medizin.uni-leipzig.de.
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Surov
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Plastic Maxillofacial Surgery, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube Str. 40, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany. Electronic address: alexander.eckert@uk-halle.de.
authors.forename: Alexander Walter
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Eckert
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008446:Maxillofacial Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Adverse events; Airway; Cervical spine; Diagnosis; Maxillofacial; Trauma