- Email: [email protected]
Old habits die hard
British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (2004) 42, 460
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Old habits die hard The temporal approach to fractures of the cheek bone complex remains by far the most popular. According to the survey1 by McLoughlin et al. the intra-oral approach was favoured in less than 10% of cases. This can hardly be for a fear of infection when we see the most traumatic and invasive procedures undertaken intra-orally. Elevation with strong wide instruments designed for the temporal approach could easily be the cause of further fragmentation of bone and an unstable reduction. Perhaps the time is opportune for a study to account for the strong preference for the temporal over the intra-oral approach and highlight any contra indications for working through the mouth.
Historical case: Wilhelm Fredrich Von Ludwig (1790—1865) Sir, With regard to the short biography on Von Ludwig (BJOMS, Vol. 42, p. 35) I should like to add an interesting footnote. It has been postulated that Dr. Von Ludwig himself died from a Ludwig’s angina,1 his obituary stating that he died from ‘‘an inflammation of the neck . . . he lost life without any immediate warning.’’ Such an irony is not unknown, for example T.B. Gunning wore one of his own eponymous splints when he fell and sustained a fractured mandible!
Reference 1. Aziz SR. The person behind the name. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1997;55:847—50.
Reference
Ronald P. Winstanley (Maxillofacial Surgeon) 1 Pine Road, Manchester M20 6UY, UK Tel.: +44 161 445 6480
S.T. Cotter Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Derriford Hospital, Plymouth PL6 8DH, UK Tel.: +44 1752 777111 E-mail address: [email protected] (S.T. Cotter)
Available online 6 August 2004
Available online 28 July 2004
1. McLoughlin P, Gilhooly M, Wood G. The management of zygomatic complex fractures—results of a survey. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1994;32:284—8.
doi: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2004.05.007
doi: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2004.05.001
0266-4356/$ — see front matter © 2004 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Old habits die hard The temporal approach to fractures of the cheek bone complex remains by far the most popular. According to the survey1 by McLoughlin et al. the intra-oral approach was favoured in less than 10% of cases. This can hardly be for a fear of infection when we see the most traumatic and invasive procedures undertaken intra-orally. Elevation with strong wide instruments designed for the temporal approach could easily be the cause of further fragmentation of bone and an unstable reduction. Perhaps the time is opportune for a study to account for the strong preference for the temporal over the intra-oral approach and highlight any contra indications for working through the mouth.
Historical case: Wilhelm Fredrich Von Ludwig (1790—1865) Sir, With regard to the short biography on Von Ludwig (BJOMS, Vol. 42, p. 35) I should like to add an interesting footnote. It has been postulated that Dr. Von Ludwig himself died from a Ludwig’s angina,1 his obituary stating that he died from ‘‘an inflammation of the neck . . . he lost life without any immediate warning.’’ Such an irony is not unknown, for example T.B. Gunning wore one of his own eponymous splints when he fell and sustained a fractured mandible!
Reference 1. Aziz SR. The person behind the name. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1997;55:847—50.
Reference
Ronald P. Winstanley (Maxillofacial Surgeon) 1 Pine Road, Manchester M20 6UY, UK Tel.: +44 161 445 6480
S.T. Cotter Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Derriford Hospital, Plymouth PL6 8DH, UK Tel.: +44 1752 777111 E-mail address: [email protected] (S.T. Cotter)
Available online 6 August 2004
Available online 28 July 2004
1. McLoughlin P, Gilhooly M, Wood G. The management of zygomatic complex fractures—results of a survey. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1994;32:284—8.
doi: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2004.05.007
doi: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2004.05.001
0266-4356/$ — see front matter © 2004 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.