Special Considerations in the Management of Pediatric Facial Trauma.

The pediatric facial skeleton has different characteristics when compared to the adult face, and fractures require modified treatment approaches. Nonoperative approaches to facial fracture management are preferred given future bony growth and development of the pediatric facial skeleton. Location of growth centers and active sutures are important in surgical decision-making, as facial fractures in children carry long-term functional sequelae. When operative interventions are indicated, key nuances set pediatric facial trauma apart from its adult counterpart. Several subsites of facial fractures are amenable to absorbable plate fixation in pediatric patients, obviating the need for interval plate removal when employing metallic plates.