Traitements des mutilés de la Grande Guerre.

The World War I, due to the strong development of the artillery, caused a considerable number of new injuries: the maxillofacial lesions. These large dilapidations are gaping wounds which look so awful that many soldiers are left for dead on the battlefield. The maxillofacial injuries are characterized by significant loss of substance affecting jaws and soft tissues of the face. The facial reconstruction of these disabled ex-servicemen, the "gueules cassées", requires the invention of new surgical techniques and design of innovative prostheses. Health personnel such as maxillofacial surgeons and dentists have shown unprecedented inventiveness, thus contributing to the development of their specialties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]