Infraorbital nerve posttraumatic deficit and displaced zygomatic fractures: a double-center study

Typical associated signs and symptoms of displaced zygomatic fractures include lack of zygoma projection, diplopia, and sensory disturbances of the infraorbital nerve (ION). The aim of this article was to assess eventual associations between ION sensory disturbances and zygomatic fractures patterns. This study is based on 2 databases that have continuously recorded patients hospitalized with maxillofacial fractures in 2 Departments of Maxillofacial Surgery in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Turin, Italy between 2001 and 2010. The following data for patients surgically treated for displaced zygomatic fractures were considered: gender, age, site and severity of facial fractures, etiology, and presenting symptoms. Statistically significant associations were found between ION sensory disturbances and assaults (P = 0.007) and sport accidents (P = 0.00003), as well as between ION sensory disturbances and isolated zygomatic fractures (P = 0.000002) and between ION sensory disturbances and diplopia (P = 0.00009).The severity of injury and the absorption of middle-energy and high-energy forces by the zygomatic complex only were associated with ION sensory disturbances. The etiology and severity of the injury as well as the presence of associated symptoms should be thoroughly investigated when a zygomatic fracture is suspected.