Facial Fracture Symptoms

• Although certain symptoms are specific for the bone fractured, some symptoms are common to any fractured bone. But remember that these symptoms may indicate a soft tissue injury (without a broken bone).
  
  
  • Pain
    
    
  • Swelling
    
    
  • Bruising
  
  
• Broken nose
  
  
  • Symptoms
    
    
    • Swelling
      
      
    • Tenderness
      
      
    • Deformity
      
      
    • Nosebleed (if present, is usually minor)
    
    
  • Significant trauma to the bridge of the nose may result in a fracture of the bones inside your nose (ethmoid bones).
    
    
    • These bones, if fractured, may cause the brain to connect with the outside environment.
      
      
    • Possible symptoms include persistent nosebleed or a clear nasal discharge.
  
  
• Broken jaw
  
  
  • Symptoms
    
    
    • Jaw pain
      
      
    • Tenderness
      
      
    • Inability to bring the teeth together properly (malocclusion)
    
    
  • Bruising under the tongue almost always indicates a jaw fracture.
  
  
• Midface (maxillary) fracture
  
  
  • Symptoms (if conscious)
    
    
    • Inability to bring the teeth together properly
      
      
    • Visual problems
      
      
    • Clear nasal discharge
    
    
  • Bruising may be present around the eyes and the midface may be able to be moved.
    
    
  • These fractures are not usually subtle and are often the result of high-speed car accidents. As a result, there might be severe injury to areas other than the face.
    
    
  • Many of these people will have difficulty breathing and require a tube to be placed down their throat to help them breathe.
  
  
• Cheekbone (zygomatic) fracture
  
  
  • Symptoms
    
    
    • Flatness of the cheek
      
      
    • Altered sensation underneath the eye on the affected side
      
      
    • Visual complaints
      
      
    • Pain with jaw movement
    
    
  • Blood in the side of the eye on the affected side sometimes is present.
  
  
• Eye socket (orbital) fracture
  
  
  • Symptoms
    
    
    • Sunken eye (enophthalmos)
      
      
    • Altered sensation beneath the affected eye
      
      
    • Double vision, particularly with upward gaze
    
    
  • This fracture involves the bones of the eye socket.
    
    
  • Injury usually occurs when a blunt object hits the eye such as a fist or a ball.
  
  
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dislocation
  
  
  • Symptoms
    
    
    • Jaw deviation
      
      
    • Inability to close the mouth
    
    
  • Dislocation of the TMJ (the joint where your jaw meets with the temporal bone, right in front of your ear) can occur with blunt trauma, seizures, or excessive mouth opening.