Major clinical and surgical approaches to treating orbitozygomatic and zygomatic maxillary complex fractures: a systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: In the scenario of orbitozygomatic fractures, facial and head injuries account for half of deaths due to trauma, and thousands are left with long-term or permanent injuries. Fractures of the zygomatic-maxillary complex (ZMC) and zygomatic arch are common athletic injuries. Operative treatment is indicated in cases of significant displacement or functional disturbance. Technology such as virtual surgical planning, intraoperative navigation, and intraoperative imaging has the potential to improve the accuracy of treatment of challenging fractures. Objective: It was to develop a systematic review of the main clinical and surgical approaches to the treatment of orbitozygomatic and zygomatic maxillary complex fractures. Methods: The PRISMA Platform systematic review rules were followed. The search was carried out from October 2023 to January 2024 in the Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Scielo, and Google Scholar databases. The quality of the studies was based on the GRADE instrument and the risk of bias was analyzed according to the Cochrane instrument. Results and Conclusion: A total of 102 articles were found, 26 articles were evaluated in full and 25 were included and developed in the present systematic review study. Considering the Cochrane tool for risk of bias, the overall assessment resulted in 14 studies with a high risk of bias and 12 studies that did not meet GRADE and AMSTAR-2. Most studies did not show homogeneity in their results, with X2=57.9%>50%. A single-piece fracture of the fronto-orbito-zygomatic-maxillary bone connected to a temporoparietal bone may require additional osteotomy to achieve successful results in an acute setting. Orbital volume analysis offers a valid modality for objectively evaluating the efficiency of the management of orbitozygomatic complex fractures. The success rate of the fixation procedure at 1 point of the zygomaticomaxillary complex is high, with minimal complications. Intraoperative CT/three-dimensional imaging should be used in the treatment of ZMC fractures requiring orbital floor reconstruction, where adjacent fractures require fixation and/or when ≥ 2 axes are displaced ≥ 5 mm.