[Soft tissue and bone injuries of the face]

The major priority in treatment of combined soft tissue and bone injuries in the maxillofacial region is the primary reconstruction and fixation of the bony structures, with suturing of the soft tissue injuries only after this has been achieved. Facial injuries should be sutured without major excision of soft tissue and with thin, atraumatic and monophil suturing material. Various fixation systems are available for the bony structures of the face. Intraoral application of plates allows functionally stable fixation of maxillofacial fractures. Zygomatic, nasal and orbital fractures deserve special consideration. Only early reconstruction and fixation can prevent functional and aesthetic distortion in these cases, which cannot be corrected later.