World Cup Soccer Player Wearing Face Mask After Facial Fracture

Son Heung Min South Korean soccer star and captain, Son Heung Min, was seen wearing a face mask during the World Cup in Qatar in November 2022. This was due to an orbital facial fracture to his left eye during a Champions League match for Tottenham for which he had to undergo surgical correction. This fracture was sustained when his face collided with Marseille defender Chancel Mbemba.  Another World Cup soccer player, Croatian Josko Gvardiol, also was seen sporting a face mask to protect a br…

11/24/2022 0

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3D Printed Masks to Protect Athletes with Nose or Facial Fractures

Mask and Image Made by Technology in Motion Over the past few years, the medical 3D printing technology has exploded with researchers being able to print a new ear, trachea, and even the skull to implant into patients. However, a more common application of medical 3D printing technology is to create custom, form-fitting facial protection masks for athletes who have suffered from facial and/or nasal fractures . With such protection, an athlete could potentially resume play within weeks rathe…

3/09/2016 0

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Senator Harry Reid Suffers Facial Fractures

Senator Harry Reid was reported to have suffered facial fractures (and rib fractures) from a fall due to a malfunction in an exercise machine he was using at home Jan 1, 2015. Although details are sparse, he was apparently admitted overnight for observation and released Jan 2, 2015. He is expected to return to work as planned on Jan 6, 2015. In the vast majority of cases, most  facial fractures  do NOT require surgical repair. As such, Mr. Reid most likely will not require any surgical in…

1/02/2015 0

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Not All Facial Fractures Require Repair... Ask Anaheim Duck's Getzlaf

Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf suffered multiple nasal and sinus fractures when he took a puck to the forehead during a win over Phoenix on December 28, 2010. He visited a maxillofacial surgeon and had a CT scan which revealed those fractures were non-displaced and stable. A further evaluation determined that the bone breaks remained stable and that surgery was not be required. This case illustrates that most facial fractures do NOT require surgical repair. The key elements that …

2/15/2011 0

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Facial Fracture Face Mask for Athletes?

I often see kids/adults with minor facial fractures that do not require any surgical intervention. These same kids/adults often play sports that often led to their initial facial fracture which they do not want to give up until complete healing has occurred (baseball, basketball, skateboarding, etc). Here's one for nasal fractures :

7/04/2010 0

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What To Do With a Broken Nose?

The only reason to see a physician immediately after an injury to the nose is to assess whether a septal hematoma has formed. The septum is a wall that divides the right nasal cavity from the left. If a hematoma has developed (which is VERY rare), it needs to be drained in an approach similar to doing a deviated septum repair . Regarding the "broken" nose itself... I personally think getting an X-ray to look for an isolated broken nose is a waste of time and money. Perhaps th…

6/10/2009 0

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