FACIAL NERVE INTRATEMPORAL TRAUMA

Course overview

TEMPORAL BONE FRACTURES ARE UNCOMMON BUT MAY INVOLVE MANY IMPORTANT STRUCTURES AND CAUSE VARIOUS DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC ISSUES. A LARGE AMOUNT OF FORCE IS REQUIRED TO FRACTURE THE TEMPORAL BONE, SO PATIENTS OFTEN PRESENT WITH OTHER CONCOMITANT INJURIES. UNLIKE FRACTURES IN OTHER HEAD AND NECK REGIONS, THE MANAGEMENT OF TEMPORAL BONE FRACTURES IS FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING FUNCTIONAL DEFICITS RATHER THAN REDUCTION AND FIXATION. SINCE THE TEMPORAL BONE IS NON-WEIGHT BEARING, COSMETIC SEQUELAE ARE RARE SECONDARY TO THIS TRAUMA. HOWEVER, DEFICITS FROM FACIAL NERVE INJURY CAN BE DEVASTATING TO PATIENTS FROM NOT ONLY A FUNCTIONAL PERSPECTIVE BUT ALSO A COSMETIC STANDPOINT. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY, PRESENTATION, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF FACIAL NERVE INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH TEMPORAL BONE FRACTURES AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING, DIAGNOSING, AND MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THESE INJURIES.