Fractured zygomatic arch reduction with foley catheter

Yang, Byoung Eun

Abstract

The zygomatic bone occupies a prominent and important position in the facial skeleton. The zygoma forms a significant portion of the floor, lateral wall of the orbit and the zygomatic arch, otherwise known as the malar eminence, which plays a key role in the determination of facial morphology. It is a structure where the masseter muscle is inserted on the ventral part of the arch, and participates in the formation of the face, giving it a prominence of each cheek and a round outline. It is prone to fracture due to its bony prominence. Between the zygomatic arch and the skull, the coronoid process of the mandible moves freely when the mouth is opened and closed. A fracture which depresses this arch generally implicates a partial or total obstruction of the movement of the condyle and of the coronoid process of the mandible, changing the opening and closure of the mouth. These fractures may also be responsible for the so called false ankylosis of the TMJ. The author describes a simple technique for reducing zygomatic arch which is displaced medially and impinges on the coronoid process. The technique is concerning the elevation of depressed fracture of zygomatic arch using the foley catheter. I think that this technique would be available for out patient department under local anesthesia and intravenous conscious sedation. Also, it would be used in postoperative stabilization of reduced comminuted zygomatic arch fracture and used in reduction malarplasty.