Craniomaxillofacial trauma in war‐torn nations: Incidence, management gaps, and recommendations

Abstract

Craniomaxillofacial trauma (CMFT) is a type of injury that affects the face, neck, and scalp, and includes facial bone fractures, dentoalveolar trauma, and soft tissue injuries. Work, traffic accidents, sports, and daily activities commonly cause these injuries. However, they are widespread in war‐torn countries where armed conflict leads to a high incidence of CMFT. The lack of resources, health care infrastructure, and surgical personnel in these areas result in subpar treatment and poor patient outcomes, contributing to the high mortality and morbidity rates among war victims. The importance of a multidisciplinary approach to CMFT management cannot be overstated, but current obstacles, such as a lack of access to proper medical care and rehabilitation services, impede the development of effective treatments. CMFT treatment is complex and prohibitively expensive for war‐torn nations to afford, necessitating international intervention to provide life‐saving surgical procedures for those suffering from CMFT in conflict zones. Despite efforts to improve CMFT treatments in war‐torn countries, more must be done to improve treatment outcomes. Data collection and research must also be improved in order to develop effective evidence‐based treatment methods.

Global, regional, and national burden of incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for facial fractures from 1990 to 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study 2019

“…Similarly, as a result of the remnants of war, Afghanistan suffered the highest prevalence and YLDs rates of facial fractures in 2019. War has increased the vulnerability of people in these countries to high-energy injuries associated with facial fractures, such as shrapnel and ballistic injuries [ 15 , 32 ]. However, there is a lack of medical services for patients with facial fractures in these countries, potentially leading to long-term disfigurement or disability for the victims [ 33 ].…”