ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the clinical evaluation and management of 19 different head and face pathologies using a combination of on-field and off-field scenarios. The cases are primarily traumatic events that commonly occur while engaging in athletics and/or physical activity. The area of the head and face includes the ear, eye, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, and jaw. An acute trauma sustained to the head and face is often the result of a direct blow from athlete-to-athlete contact, a playing apparatus, or a high velocity projectile. Epidemiological studies conducted by the Injury Surveillance System of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from the 1988–1989 athletic season through the 2003–2004 season demonstrate that of all the reported injuries sustained during games and practices, concussions top the list as the most prevalent of all head and facial injuries. Nasal fractures were the second most common of all reported head and facial injuries. Athletes in all 15 NCAA sports reported were at risk.
