Pterygoid Plate Fractures Unrelated to Le Fort Fractures on CT

BACKGROUND:This study aims to describe the major pterygoid plate fractures (PPFs) patterns unrelated to Le Fort fractures (LFFs) using maxillofacial computed tomography (CT). METHODS:After obtaining our hospital ethics committee approval (37-05), data for PPF were acquired from the medical records of all the trauma patients who were diagnosed using CT at our hospital from April 2014 to April 2017. RESULTS:Of the 178 patients, 135 (male/female = 86/49; mean age = 37.2 years) had LFF and 43 (male/female = 35/8; mean age = 38.6 years) had PPF without associated LFF. PPF patterns unrelated to LFF included temporal bone (11.6%), sphenotemporal buttress (25.5%), zygomaticomaxillary complex (30.2%), displaced mandible (23.3%), nasal (4.7%), and isolated fractures (4.7%). The etiologies of facial fractures were not significantly different between both sexes (p=0.576). No significant difference between Le Fort and non-Le Fort groups was found for age (p=0.603) and the causes of trauma (p=0.183). CONCLUSION:PPF is most commonly seen with LFF, but it may also be seen alone or with other non-LFF indicating that all PPF are not related to LFF. Axial reformatted CT images can easily display PPF and the degree of displacement of the fragments, and they can be used to guide surgical reduction of the fractures.