[Cranio-maxillofacial traumatology].

During the last 50 years, significant developments have taken place in the treatment of cranio-maxillofacial fractures. The aim of treatment is to achieve the most complete possible restoration of facial functions Epidemiologic figures for these fractures are sparsely available in the literature, but traffic accidents, acts of violence and sports injuries appear to be the main causes. Currently, treatment of facial trauma is aimed at early and (nearly) complete restoration of function. To achieve this goal almost exclusive use is made of stable osteosynthesis methods in The Netherlands. An optimal fixation method exists for nearly every cranio-maxillofacial trauma due to the availability of a large variety of osteosynthesis materials, from micro-plates to reconstruction plates.