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Case report
Symphyseal fracture in a three-month-old infant
  1. Amir Labib1 and
  2. Amir Samir Elbarbary2
  1. 1Plastic Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
  2. 2Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
  1. Correspondence to Amir Labib; amirlabib2001{at}gmail.com

Abstract

Mandibular fractures are rare in infants, and diagnosis can be easily missed due to the difficulty in obtaining an adequate history and the subtle signs. A high index of suspicion and detailed history taking from the caregiver are mandatory to pick up these cases.

There are a plethora of management options that have been reported in dealing with such fractures. They range from conservative management to internal fixation by absorbable plates. While conservative management does not interfere with mandibular growth and teeth development, any surgical intervention can carry this risk. Nevertheless, a severely displaced fracture may need anatomical reduction and fixation to allow early nutrition.

This study reports a 3-month-old male infant with a fracture in the mandibular symphysis who underwent reduction of the fracture and circummandibular fixation using immobilisation by an acrylic splint for 4 weeks. His long-term follow-up after 20 months showed adequate dentition with proper healing of the fracture site.

  • surgery
  • plastic and reconstructive surgery

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2021-245661

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors Mr AL wrote the manuscript and did the literature search. Professor ASE operated on the cases and reviewed the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.