Fundamentals of Cranio-Maxillofacial Trauma

Cranio-maxillofacial trauma is a condition resulting from structural violence against the facial and cranial skeleton. It is often a consequence of the high-energy generated by the sudden deceleration. Cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) trauma involves the structures of the cranial skeleton and, as a result, traumatic brain injury (TBI) with different levels of brain damage. There is also involvement of the cervical region, due to spinal cord injury (SCI), at its different levels. The task of the cranio-maxillofacial surgeon will be to carry out the three-dimensional skeletal reconstruction by recovering the height, width, and projection of the face, following the sequence from top to bottom, from bottom to top, from outside to inside, ending in an imaginary line of Le Fort I, which allows the connection of the so-called craniofacial and maxillomandibular units. In many cases, the craniomaxillofacial surgeon will be responsible for the immediate reconstruction of soft tissues, since skeletal reconstruction, to be viable, depends on adequate periosteal, muscular, mucosal, and cutaneous coverage.