Prototyping for the treatment of late zygomatic-orbital fracture: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Zygomatic-orbital complex fractures are the most common facial traumas that can result in severe esthetic and functional sequelae. Surgical correction of these fractures is a delicate approach and prototyping is an excellent tool to facilitate this procedure. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 27-year-old man, a motorcycle accident victim, was hospitalized in the intensive care unit for 30 days. After this period, facial fractures were treated surgically, leaving sequelae such as enophthalmos, dystopia and loss of projection of the zygomatic arch. A second intervention was planned after one year for reconstruction of the orbit with the help of prototyping. Better outcomes were achieved than in the first intervention. DISCUSSION: This report permits to compare the result of conventional surgery and the use of a prototype in the same patient. Noticeably better outcomes were achieved with the second approach. Prototyping made the surgical procedure more predictable and reduced operative time because of the possibility of using preshaped titanium plates. CONCLUSIONS: Prototyping was found to be an excellent option to overcome the deficiencies of the conventional technique, recovering the functional and esthetic characteristics of the patient’s face and ensuring a markedly satisfactory outcome.