Secondary prevention of nasal bone fractures by protective facemasks in athletes - A Comparative Retrospective Study of 19 Patients

Objective. - Sport, become inescapable in our modern society, both for its healthy, social and relational benefits, is a major provider of maxittofacial trauma. The objective of our work is to show the interest of the facial mask in secondary prevention for fracture of nasal region, to establish rules of use (design and shape, wearing time) and to estimate the feeling of protection for the player. Methods. -A retrospective comparative study was realized between January 1st, 2013 and December 31st, 2015 about 19 patients in the departments of maxillofacial surgery of the University Hospital of Caen and Nantes. These two departments have a different attitude to manage the post-traumatic care of the sportsmen, the one proposing a premature resumption with protective mask, the other one recommending a sporting exemption of 6 weeks (without mask). Results. - Our results and review of the literature suggest that the use of these facial protections in secondary prevention for fractures of nasal region can be used for a faster return to the competition. (C) 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.