Association of Infraorbital Nerve Injury with Zygomaticomaxillary Complex Fractures at a Tertiary Care Hospital, Karachi

Abstract

Background: The zygomatic region stands out as the most prominent facial portion, and zygomatic complex fractures (ZMC) are the second most prevalent facial fractures in the lateral mid-face area. This study investigated the associations between fractures in the ZMC and injuries to the infraorbital nerve at a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 72 patients from September 2021 to March 2022, at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre, Karachi. Patients aged between 16 to 65 years, recently diagnosed with zygomatic bone fractures, were included in the study through consecutive non-probability sampling. Comprehensive patient histories, including demographic information, gender, age and residential status, obesity, and the identification of infraorbital nerve injuries diagnosed through clinical examinations and radiographic assessments. SPSS vr20 was used and the Chi-Square test was utilized to explore associations between categorical variables.

Results: Among the 72 cases, 45(62.5%) were male, while 27(37.5%) were females. The average age was 37.43 ± 11.04 years, with ages ranging from 16 to 65 years. Within this cohort, 47(65.3%) individuals were residents of urban areas, whereas 25(34.7%) hailed from rural regions. Notably, positive infraorbital nerve injuries were detected in 54 patients (p=0.02), constituting 75.0% of the total injuries. Among those with ZMC fractures, 25(34.7%) (p=0.02) also had infraorbital injuries, while 20(27.8%) (p=0.03) did not exhibited such injuries.

Conclusion: our study highlights a noteworthy correlation between ZMC fractures and infraorbital injuries. These results underscore the reciprocal relevance of assessing infraorbital injuries in ZMC fracture cases and vice versa, enhancing the comprehensive understanding and management of such injuries in clinical practice.