Respiratory Obstruction Due to Richards Type 4 Fracture

Facial fractures can be potentially fatal in polytraumatized patients due to retropositioning tissues to upper airway obstruction. In the first aids, this situation can be reversed using a tracheostomy procedure to break out the airways. However, fractures leading to airway obstruction are rare and according to Richards Classification can be classified into 5 types. The purpose of this article is to report a clinical patient with a bilateral condylar and mandibular symphysis fractures that resulted in airway obstruction and severe mandibular rear projection. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Willian Ricardo Pires, DDS, MSc, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Integrated Clinic, Araçatuba Dental School, UNESP, Rua José Bonifácio, 1193, Araçatuba, São Paulo 16015-050, Brazil; E-mail: willian_ricardo_p@hotmail.com Received 13 April, 2017 Accepted 26 November, 2017 The authors report no conflicts of interest. © 2018 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.

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