Healing

A skull base fracture is by no means a life-threatening injury in all cases, so that emergency intervention or intensive therapy is not always necessary. If, for example, there are only fine cracks in the base of the skull or if the individual, small fragments are not displaced in relation to each other, the health of the affected person is usually restored within days to weeks. Surgical therapy or intensive care is not necessary in these cases, but in-patient hospital monitoring is necessary to detect and treat possible late symptoms or complications in time.

In the case of concomitant injuries (vascular tears, nerve entrapments, eye injuries) or open skull base fractures, however, immediate surgical intervention is unavoidable and may be life-saving. How much time is needed for complete recovery in such cases depends on the extent of the concomitant injuries and possible complications, although on average it can take weeks to months. It is not possible to make a general estimate of how long it will take for a basal skull fracture to heal.

In the case of a simple basal skull fracture, in which the fragments are not shifted against each other and in which there are no accompanying injuries, those affected can usually return to normal and participate in life without restrictions after a few days to a few weeks. In such cases an operation is normally not necessary, but a stay in hospital is necessary, since serious complications that may occur can be directly recognized and treated. If, however, an operation was necessary because cranial bones have shifted against each other or have splintered, the patient must stay in hospital for a long time on the one hand and on the other hand take it easy at home for a long time, because operations on the skull are a serious procedure.

In addition, if metal plates were previously inserted to fix the skull, operations to remove these plates and screws are pending. If nerves were injured in the skull base fracture, it takes several weeks to months before they regenerate, since nerve tissue grows very slowly. In addition, long-term physiotherapy is usually necessary to regain the original function.

Here, permanent damage is always possible. If the brain was affected by the skull base fracture, or if motor, sensory or cognitive impairments even occurred, the healing process is possible in principle, but usually takes a long time, up to years. In addition, a consistent rehabilitation must be carried out here. In most cases, however, when the brain is involved, consequential damage, the severity of which can vary greatly, remains.