Fractures of the jaw in medical practice are quite common. Doctors note that jaw bone injuries account for one seventh of the total number of fractures.
In order to recognize the problem in time and take the necessary measures, you should understand the existing types of injury and their symptoms.
What is a jaw fracture
Fractures of the jaw are damage to the jawbone in any place, accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the surrounding tissues. In this case, muscles, facial nerves, and blood vessels can be affected.
The causes of this kind of injury are different, but most often they are caused by mechanical impact: impact, fall, accident. In addition, there is also a pathological fracture, which occurs as a result of external influence on the jawbone in the presence of chronic diseases such as bone syphilis, osteomyelitis, and tumors. So, in severe cases of osteomyelitis, parts of the bone die off, which leads to its spontaneousfracture.
How to recognize a broken jaw
There are several signs of a broken jaw:
- When injured, a person feels severe pain.
- When you try to open or close your mouth, pain intensifies, a click can be heard.
- Jaw may move sideways.
- With an open fracture, there is a tear in the facial tissues above the jawbone.
- In the case where the nerve endings are affected, some numbness is felt when touching the face.
- Headache, dizziness.
Symptoms may vary depending on which part of the bone is damaged.
To establish the type of jaw injury, you should immediately consult a doctor and conduct a diagnostic analysis. It includes an external examination, X-ray examination.
A broken jaw is often accompanied by damage to the brain or cervical spine. To exclude such complications, an additional analysis is carried out.
Types of jaw fractures
Fractures of the jaw have an extensive classification in several areas:
1. Separation by etiological or causal factor:
- occurrence of fracture of the jaws as a result of trauma;
- jaw fracture as a result of tissue and bone pathology.
2. Depending on the fracture line:
- longitudinal;
- straight;
- oblique;
- zigzag;
- fragmented;
- transverse.
3. By number of wreckage:
- multiple;
- single;
- double;
- triple.
4. Depending on the location of the fracture:
- fractured lower jaw;
- fracture of the upper jaw.
5. According to the degree of violation of the jawbone:
- full;
- incomplete (cracks, breaks).
6. Depending on the degree of soft tissue involvement:
- closed fractures - soft tissue intact;
- open - the integrity of soft tissues is broken.
Besides this, there are jaw fractures:
- with and without defects;
- combined.
Mandibular fracture treatment
The main symptoms of mandibular fractures are:
- pain;
- inability to chew food due to pain;
- possible numbness of the chin, lips;
- malocclusion;
- nausea;
- dizziness.
In the process of diagnosis, the doctor, first of all, determines the general physical condition of the patient. For this, the pulse and pressure are measured. After that, in order to exclude a traumatic brain injury, a tomography is performed.
During an external examination, painful points, defects, hematomas are determined. A test is carried out in which the alleged fracture site is revealed. After that, an x-ray examination is performed.
At the corners, the lower jaw has a very fine structure and even with a slight blow or otherlateral injury possible fracture.
Double, triple and multiple fractures of the lower jaw are common. The treatment of such injuries is difficult and takes a longer period of rehabilitation.
Therapy
When there is a mandibular fracture, treatment should follow immediately - this will avoid many complications.
Before transporting a person to a medical facility, the patient should be given first aid. It is necessary to fix the lower jaw in a stationary state with a bandage or bandage.
The most common mandibular fracture sites are:
- mental hole projection;
- mid jaw;
- articular process;
- jaw angles.
Tissue edema often accompanies a mandibular fracture. Treatment in this case begins with the application of a cold compress. After that, under local anesthesia, the doctor performs a procedure to combine bone fragments, and then fixes the jaw for the entire period of treatment.
The bone of the lower jaw can be fixed with a nylon core or wire. At the same time, anti-inflammatory therapy is carried out, vitamins and remedies are prescribed to strengthen the immune system.
Upper jaw fracture
The upper jaw is a paired bone, it is located in the center of the face and participates in the formation of the nasal cavity, mouth, eye sockets. A fracture of the upper jaw is very dangerous. First, it may be hurtscull. Secondly, there is a risk of a concussion or a disease such as meningitis.
In addition to the standard symptoms, fractures of the upper jaw may be accompanied by hemorrhage, bruising in the eye area, blurred vision, loss of consciousness. Respiratory and chewing functions are difficult. If a person cannot breathe, the airways and oral cavity should be cleared of interfering foreign bodies.
An injury like this can bleed. To stop it, you should apply a tampon or a pressure bandage.
Complicated jaw fracture
Complicated is a fracture of the jaw with a displacement, in which there is a violation of the normal arrangement of bone fragments. May be complete or incomplete.
Complete fracture - connections between the components of the bone are broken.
Incomplete - the connection between the components of the bone is not broken or only slightly broken.
Fracture of the lower jaw with displacement initially requires alignment of fragments, removal of edema, after which rigid fixation is required.
In the case of a fracture of the upper jaw, traction is often necessary. For this, a special orthopedic apparatus is used, which gradually returns the damaged bone to the correct position.
This kind of injury is very dangerous, because it can provoke asphyxia, which, if not provided in time, can lead to death. To prevent suffocation, you should clean the oral cavity from foreign bodies, blood, and then place the person in a horizontal position, face down, placing underchest rolled up blanket or clothes.
Splinting for a broken jaw
The main method of treating jaw fractures is splinting - this is the fixation of fragments using a special design made of wire or plastic.
Splinting is of the following types:
- One-sided - used for a fracture of one half of the jawbone. A wire is used that is attached to the injured area.
- Double-sided - a stiffer wire is used, hooks and rings are additionally installed.
- Double jaw - used for fractures of the upper and lower jaws with displacement. A copper wire is used, which is attached to the teeth and fixes both jaws with rubber rings.
A splint for a broken jaw can also be plastic. It is applied under the chin, runs along the cheeks and is fixed with a bandage around the head. But this method, as a rule, is resorted to if urgent splinting is required (for example, when transporting a patient to a medical facility).
If a person has a complicated fracture of the jaw, splinting is carried out strictly after the fragments are combined. Additional external fixators may also be required.
Possible Complications
Probable complications of upper and lower jaw fractures include:
- sinusitis;
- osteomyelitis;
- incorrect fusion of fragments;
- false joint.
Sinusitis most often occurs whenfracture of the upper jaw and is due to the presence of small bone fragments in the maxillary sinuses.
Osteomyelitis is a common complication of mandibular fracture. It is a purulent formation that affects the bone. In order to prevent the development of this pathology, antimicrobials, physiotherapy, and vitamins are prescribed.
Improperly fused fracture of the jaw can occur in the following cases:
- the patient came to the medical facility late;
- treatment regime was violated;
- when the jaw fracture occurred, the splinting was performed according to the wrong method.
The situation can be corrected by surgery (most often they do this) or with the help of an exhaust system.
False joint can occur with osteomyelitis, is a violation of the jawbone with mobility in some departments. Treatment is only surgical.
Rehab
The recovery period after a jaw fracture includes the following steps:
- Fixation of fragments. A splint is used for a broken jaw and some other types of fixing devices.
- Anti-inflammatory therapy. Includes taking antibiotics, antifungal and general strengthening drugs.
- Proper oral hygiene. It is carried out by both the doctor and the patient himself. It consists in cleaning the tire, teeth from food debris, treating the oral cavity with special antimicrobial agents. Rinsing with a solution of soda should be performed daily, and afterfood use antiseptics.
- Physiotherapy is a special gymnastics aimed at restoring the functions of the jaw. Exercises should be started from the first day of the injury to prevent scarring and avoid complications such as an improperly healed jaw fracture.
To restore all the functions of the jaw, you should do gymnastics daily. Its principle is to develop muscles, joints. To do this, you need to make massaging movements, and then proceed to the pronunciation of letters, sounds, opening your mouth wide. You can imitate chewing movements. At first it will cause pain, but gradually the discomfort will pass.
If a child is hurt…
According to statistics, this kind of injuries are observed in boys aged 6 to 14, that is, during a period of increased motor activity, then the number of accidents declines. In girls, there is no similar relationship between the frequency of fractures and age. In any case, this injury is very unpleasant, but the worst thing is that it is mainly accompanied by craniocerebral injuries, violation of the integrity of other bones and soft tissues. Self-employment is strictly not recommended. At the slightest suspicion of a fracture, you should immediately seek qualified help.
When visiting a doctor, a medical history is compiled. It is not always possible to visually diagnose a fracture of the jaw, so the specialist without fail prescribes an X-ray examination. According to its results, a treatment plan is drawn up. The rehabilitation process is not much different from the one described above.
Eating Rules
Due to the fact that during therapy and rehabilitation the jaws are in a fixed position, it is imperative to adjust the diet. The bone grows together within a month (at least), and during this time only liquid food should be consumed.
Jaw fractures involve eating food that is no thicker than sour cream in consistency. An approximate menu may consist of soups with grated vegetables, fruit purees, dairy products, broths, and various cereals. After removing the splint, you need to start taking solid food gradually so as not to provoke gastrointestinal disorders.
Breakfast can consist of a glass of yogurt, liquid oatmeal, applesauce.
For lunch, you can cook any cereal, chicken or rabbit broth, drink a glass of orange juice.
Sour-milk products can be used as snacks. For dinner, you should prefer thin potato soup, fruit puree.
