Surgical management of camel-related craniofacial injuries

Background: There are no studies focused on the types and management of camel-related craniofacial injuries. Objectives: We aimed to analyze the pattern of injuries that required surgical management and their specific operative treatment. Methods: We prospectively collected data of all patients who were admitted to Al Ain Hospital with camel-related craniofacial injuries that were treated operatively during the period of January 2015 to January 2020. Results: Eleven patients were studied; all were males having a median (range) age of 29 (19–66) years. Falling from a camel was the most common mechanism of injury (45.5 %) followed by camel bite (36.4 %). The most common injured region was the middle third of the face, which accounted for 56.5% of the bony fractures. Zygomatico-maxillary complex fractures were present in 60% of patients who fell while riding a camel. The most common surgical procedure performed in our patients was an open reduction with internal fixation (54.5%). There was no mortality. Conclusions: camel-related craniofacial injuries are complex. The main mechanism of injury is falling from a camel on the face causing fractures of the zygomatico-maxillary complex. These fractures usually need open reduction with internal fixation. Taking safety precautions may help in injury prevention. Keywords: Camel; face injury; head injury; surgery.