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Severe Craniofacial Morbidity from a Bean Bag Projectile
Santiago R Gonzalez1, Vishalli Loomba2, Osita Obi-Osuagwu1
1Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Global Open
|May 26, 2021
Summary
Bean bag munitions, used by law enforcement, can cause severe injuries. This case report details a patient with a retained bean bag munition causing facial fractures and nerve damage.
Area of Science:
- Trauma Surgery
- Forensic Pathology
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Bean bag munitions are less-lethal weapons used by law enforcement.
- While generally considered less harmful than traditional firearms, they carry risks of severe injury.
Observation:
- A patient sustained a zygomaticomaxillary complex fracture, facial nerve injury, and a retained bean bag munition in the maxillary sinus.
- The injury occurred during an altercation with police.
Findings:
- Surgical extraction of the munition was performed urgently.
- Fracture repair was successful, but the patient experienced significant facial nerve damage, resulting in lagophthalmos.
- This is the first reported case of a penetrating bean bag munition injury retained within facial structures.
Implications:
- Highlights the potential for severe morbidity from less-lethal bean bag munitions.
- Underscores the importance of understanding the risks associated with these weapons.
- Provides insights into surgical management and outcomes of such penetrating facial injuries.
