Cheekbone Fracture

2023 Author: Wallace Forman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 12:25

Cheekbone fracture

The zygomatic bone (Os zygomaticum, "cheekbone") is located above the cheek region and forms the outer edge of the eye socket. The cheekbone fracture is one of the most common bony injuries to the facial skull. Typical causes are falls or hits in the face.

In the case of a cheekbone fracture, neighboring regions are often also involved, such as the eye socket or the lower jaw. Different complaints and complications are possible, depending on the situation.

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• What are the causes of a cheekbone fracture?
• What are the symptoms?
• How is the diagnosis made?
• How is a cheekbone fracture treated?
• Whom can I ask?
• How are the costs going to be covered?

What are the causes of a cheekbone fracture?

Cheekbone fractures are caused by direct violence on the face. Frequent causes are, for example, falling on a bike, traffic accidents, a collision during a header duel between two footballers or a blow in a violent conflict.

Depending on the nature of the injury, a cheekbone fracture often also affects adjacent bony structures (temporal bone, lower jaw, eye socket, upper jaw). In the event of purely lateral force, an isolated fracture of the zygomatic arch (bony structure between the lower edge of the eye socket and the ear) can occur.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of a cheekbone fracture depend on the severity and type of the fracture. The fragments can either remain in their normal position or be shifted against each other (dislocated fracture). In the case of dislocated fractures, the fragments can twist, shift into the jaw or eye socket and lead to nerves, blood vessels and the eyeball injuries. If there are more than six fragments, one speaks of a comminuted fracture.

A cheekbone fracture can cause the following symptoms on the affected side:

• severe, radiating pain,
• Swelling around the eyes and cheeks,
• Bruise around the eye,
• Nosebleeds,
• Bleeding from the maxillary sinus,
• flattened cheek,
• visible bony steps at the bottom of the eye socket,
• Facial wounds,
• Visual disturbances (double vision),
• Lower jaw dysfunction (e.g. mouth cannot be opened).

How is the diagnosis made?

The doctor takes an anamnesis, palpates the injured facial region including the adjacent bones and checks whether there are any functional disorders, for example with mouth or eye movements. An x-ray is also done to determine the extent of the injury. In addition, computed tomography or digital volume tomography (DVT, new imaging method for creating 3D images of the head) may be required. If the eye socket is involved, an ophthalmological examination is important.

How is a cheekbone fracture treated?

In most cases, surgery under general anesthesia is necessary to remove broken pieces of bone and fix the bone fragments in their original position. Special plates (mini or micro plates) and screws are used for this. In the case of pronounced bone defects, a transplant of the body's own cartilage or bone pieces (from the hips or ribs) or of foreign material may be necessary. It may be possible to remove the foreign materials (including screws and plates) after about a year. If the aesthetics are significantly impaired, plastic surgical operations can be carried out.

Non-displaced fractures without damaging other structures can under certain circumstances grow back together on their own, in these cases an operation can be dispensed with

Whom can I ask?

If you have a cheekbone fracture, you can contact the following offices:

• rescue in an acute emergency (emergency number 144),
• General Practitioner,
• Specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery,
• Specialist in ophthalmology,
• Specialist in ear, nose and throat medicine,
• Accident ambulance.

How are the costs going to be covered?

The e-card is your personal key to the benefits of the statutory health insurance. All necessary and appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic measures are taken over by your responsible social insurance agency. A deductible or contribution to costs may apply for certain services. You can obtain detailed information from your social security agency. Further information can also be found at:

• Right to treatment
• Visit to the doctor: costs and deductibles
• What does the hospital stay cost?
• Prescription fee: This is how drug costs are covered
• Health Professions AZ

and via the online guide to reimbursement of social insurance costs.