Management of soft tissue injuries

Soft tissue injuries represent the most common manifestation of craniomaxillofacial trauma seen and evaluated by emergency medical as well as surgical personnel. These soft tissue injuries of the head and neck frequently pose challenging reconstructive problems for the craniomaxillofacial surgeon, and their management entails careful evaluation and planning for optimal treatment. This chapter provides an overview of craniomaxillofacial soft tissue injuries and highlights the major considerations in their management. The reader is provided with a basic framework for analysis of the respective injuries by anatomic region as well as a guiding set of principles for repair. The chapter concludes with special considerations for bite wounds, pediatric soft tissue injuries, and soft tissue injuries associated with craniomaxillofacial fractures to give the reader additional information on these commonly encountered entities.