Michael Perry • Simon Holmes

2014

Craniofacial trauma, in all its forms, is a challenging area of clinical practice, even in the twenty-first century. This is in part due to the highly visible effects it has on both the function and aesthetics of the face. Even “minor” injuries can result in signifi cant disability and unsightly appearances if not precisely repaired. Although many facial injuries occur following relatively low-energy impacts (and can therefore be treated satisfactorily in many patients), the goal of consistently returning our patients precisely to their pre-injury form and function still eludes us— if we critically review our results. This is especially likely when high-energy injuries have resulted in both comminution of the facial skeleton and signifi cant soft tissue damage.