Fractures
Mandibular Fractures
A broken mandible is a common facial injury.
Only the nose is broken more frequently. A broken jaw is the 10th most common
fractured bone in the human body. Fractures are generally the result of a
direct force or trauma to the mandible.
Causes:
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Signs and Symptoms:
o The signs and symptoms of a mandibular fracture begin to develop immediately after some trauma to the jaw. o The most common symptom: Jaw pain. People may feel that your teeth do not fit together correctly (this is called a malocclusion). They may be unable to open their jaw all the way, have problems speaking or chewing food, or notice swelling or displacement of the jaw. The chin or lower lip may be numb Due to the damage to a nerve that runs through the mandible. Inside the mouth bleeding or change in the normal lineup of teeth or both can be signs of a broken jaw. There might also be bruising under the tongue or even a cut in the ear canal due to movement backward of the broken jawbone. Drooling and the inability to close the mouth may occur. |
Criteria for Diagnosis:
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PT Implications:
Perform soft tissue at the cervical spine, and muscles of mastication. ROM exercises are used to gain range in the jaw after surgery to return patient to normal functioning eating and drinking. |
When to Refer:
If after some trauma to the jaw or face, a person's teeth don't fit together correctly, if they have bleeding within the mouth, significant pain, problems speaking, or swelling, they should seek medical care. |
Growing Skull Fracture
Rare complication following cranio-cerebral
trauma, which occurs commonly. It is due to the firm adhesions of the dura to
the skull bones and growing pulsatile brain at infancy and early childhood when
the brain and skull are growing the most rapidly.
Etiology:
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Causes:
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Population Affected:
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PT Implications:
Differential Diagnosis:
Children under 3 yrs with cephalohematoma, underlying brain damage or bone diastasis > 4mm on CT, and seizures due to the injury are more susceptible to developing growing skull fractures |
Staging the Disease:
Clinical prognosis of the Disease
Radiological Findings:
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