Airbag cover impact: A rarely seen reason for mandibular defects

Abstract

Airbags and seatbelts are among the primary means of preventing severe injuries after motor vehicle accidents. Nonetheless, many studies have examined injuries that were related to airbag deployment. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of multiple mandible fractures caused by impact with the airbag cover. Removal of non-viable bone fragments was performed and the resulting hemi-mandible defect was reconstructed with a free iliac crest flap. A radial forearm free flap was used to reconstruct the mucosal defect. Airbags can prevent deadly injuries; however, they can also cause serious harm to the maxillofacial bones at the time of deployment.