Stabilization of comminuted zygomatic fractures with external suspension apparatus

L. G. Duckert and L. R. Boies Jr

An external fixation device using a suspension bar fashioned from dental compounds is described. The finished appliance resembles a drawer pull from which the fractured malar eminence is suspended. The apparatus is recommended for the treatment of comminuted, unstable zygomatic fractures where conventional means of stabilization have proved unsatisfactory or undesirable and where passive traction is desirable. Appliances fashioned from lightweight dental compounds offer the maxillofacial surgeon a safe, effective, and highly versatile means of stabilizing facial fractures.