Part 3Facial injuries

Part 3—Facial injuries Division 1—Skeletal injuries of the facial area

Examples of factors affecting ISV assessment for items 14 to 22 • Extent of skeletal or functional damage • Degree of cosmetic damage or disfigurement • Availability of cosmetic repair

Extreme facial injury

The injury will involve severe traumatic injury to the face requiring substantial reconstructive surgery.

•	A Le Fort I fracture or Le Fort II fracture if the degree of incapacity and disfigurement after reconstructive surgery will be very severe
•	A Le Fort III fracture causing incapacity in daily activities

Additional example of factor affecting ISV scale The extent of any neurological impairment or effect on the airway Note— Le Fort I fracture, Le Fort II fracture and Le Fort III fracture are defined in regulation 3.

Serious facial injury

The injury will involve serious traumatic injury to the face requiring reconstructive surgery that is not substantial.

•	A Le Fort I fracture or Le Fort II fracture if the degree of incapacity and disfigurement after reconstructive surgery will not be very severe
•	A Le Fort III fracture if no serious deformity will remain after reconstructive surgery
•	A serious or multiple fracture of the nasal complex either or both—
(a)	requiring more than 1 operation; and
(b)	causing 1 or more of the following—
•	permanent damage to the airway
•	permanent damage to nerves or tear ducts
•	facial deformity.
•	A serious cheekbone fracture that will require surgery and cause serious disfigurement and permanent effects despite reconstructive surgery, for example, hyperaesthesia or paraesthesia
•	A very serious multiple jaw fracture that will—
(a)	require prolonged treatment; and
(b)	despite reconstructive surgery, cause permanent effects, for example, severe pain, restriction in eating, paraesthesia or a risk of arthritis in the joints.
•	A severed trunk of the facial nerve (7th cranial nerve), causing total paralysis of facial muscles on 1 side of the face

•	Any neurological impairment or effect on the airway
•	Permanent cosmetic deformity

•	An ISV at or near the bottom of the range will be appropriate if the injury causes permanent cosmetic deformity, asymmetry of 1 side of the face and limited consequential mental harm.
•	An ISV at or near the top of the range will be appropriate if the injury causes serious bilateral deformity and significant consequential mental harm.

Moderate facial injury

•	A simple cheekbone fracture, requiring minor reconstructive surgery, from which the injured person will fully recover with little cosmetic damage
•	A fracture of the jaw causing—
(a)	permanent effects, for example, difficulty in opening the mouth or in eating; or
(b)	hyperaesthesia or paraesthesia in the area of the fracture. 
•	Damaged branches of the facial nerve (7th cranial nerve) with permanent paralysis of some of the facial muscles
•	A displaced fracture of the nasal complex from which the injured person will almost fully recover after surgery
•	A severed sensory nerve of the face with minor permanent paraesthesia