Systematic Review of Laryngeal Fractures and Trends in Operative Management

Annie E Moroco; Vijay A Patel; Robert A Saadi; John P Gniady; Jessyka G Lighthall

doi:10.1177/19433875221074847

Systematic Review of Laryngeal Fractures and Trends in Operative Management

Craniomaxillofac Trauma Reconstr. 2023 Mar;16(1):62-69. doi: 10.1177/19433875221074847. Epub 2022 Feb 22.

Authors

Annie E Moroco¹, Vijay A Patel², Robert A Saadi³, John P Gniady³, Jessyka G Lighthall³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
² Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC Centers for Cranial Base Surgery & Sinonasal Disorders and Allergy, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
³ Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.

Abstract

Study design: Systematic review of the literature.

Objective: The goal of this study is to review the current literature on the trends in management of laryngeal fractures following trauma.

Methods: Independent searches of the PubMed and MEDLINE databases were performed. Articles from the period of 1963 to 2020 were collected. All studies which described laryngeal fractures using the Boolean method and relevant search term combinations, including "Laryngeal", "Fracture", "Operative", and "Management" were collected.

Results: A total of 588 relevant unique articles were identified for analysis. Of these, 24 articles were deemed appropriate for inclusion in the literature review. Due to variability in study design and outcome measures, formal synthesis of data in the form of a meta-analysis was not possible.

Conclusions: Laryngeal fractures are rare traumatic injuries that require early identification and evaluation with complex management options. This comprehensive review aims to highlight the breadth of the topic with regard to presentation and clinical management. Though there remains no clear best practice for laryngeal fracture management, we review trends in clinical practice throughout the literature.

Keywords: fracture; larynx; operative; systematic review; trauma.

Publication types

Review