[Classification and grading of facial skull fractures (author's transl)]

It is well known that certain kinds of fractures of the facial skull occur repeatedly. In attempting to classify our own patients we came to the conclusion that an easy categorizing into the known schemes is rarely possible. Therefore, we propose a new classification based on 353 facial skull fractures, treated in our clinic during the last eight years. In doing so, we take into account not only the localization of the fracture, but also the degree of the injury in the form of a grading. Both of the large groups, lateral and central facial skull fractures, are further divided into isolated fractures of particular localisations (zygomatic arc, orbital floor fracture etc.) and compound fractures of varying degrees (lateral or central impression fractures of the mid-face Grade I-III). This classification, based on practical experience, allows the majority of all existing injuries to be freely categorized.