Pediatric maxillofacial trauma is a challenge for surgeons. There are no completely defined protocols, and sometimes, the initial management could be complex. The aim of this research was to perform a retrospective study to analyze the pattern and treatment of maxillofacial fractures in pediatric and adolescent patients. We reviewed the clinical records of 2986 patients treated at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Division of Piracicaba Dental School between 1999 and 2008. Seven hundred fifty-seven patients were younger than 18 years and were divided into 3 groups according to age; the age and sex of the patients, etiology, fractures and associated injury, treatment, and complications were evaluated. Five hundred thirty boys (70.01%) and 227 girls (29.99%) were treated for injuries with major prevalence in adolescents. The most common injury causes were bicycle accidents (29.06%) and falls (28.40%). The mandible was the most fractured bone (44.8%); associated injuries were lacerations of the soft tissue and dental trauma. Surgical treatment was performed in 75 cases (30%) with minor complications (10% of surgical patients). We conclude that maxillofacial trauma in child is associated to fall and bicycle accidents; the mandible is more affected than other maxillofacial structures, and frequently, nonsurgical treatment is performed.

The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate some epidemiological characteristics, surgical treatment methods, and complications of cases involving mandibular fractures. Records from 119 patients treated for mandibular fractures between January 2006 and December 2011 were analyzed. We find mandibular fractures mostly affect Caucasian (72.2%) men (80.7%). The mean age of the patients was 28.1 years. Road traffic accidents (RTA) caused the most fractures (49.5%), followed by physical violence, including gunshot wounds (21%). Motorcycle accidents were the most common cause of RTA (76.2%). The most affected mandibular regions were the parasymphysis (26.9%) and the mandible angle (25.1%). Both surgical and nonsurgical treatments were applied (90.4% and 9.6%, respectively). The most common surgical approach was the intraoral (64.9%), using the 2.0-mm fixation system (88.0%). Complications such as postoperative infections, malocclusion, and paresthesia occurred in 36 patients (30.2%). This research revealed interesting features about the etiology of mandibular fractures that were mostly associated with RTA. Severity of the trauma and noncompliance of the patients were factors that contributed to the development of postoperative complications.

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