Maxillofacial Trauma Trends at a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Purpose:Maxillofacial fractures are rapidly increasing from car accidents, industrial accidents, teenaged criminal activity, and sports injuries. Accurate assessment, appropriate diagnosis, and preparing individual treatment plans are necessary to reduce surgical complications. We investigated recent trends of facial bone fracture by period, cause, and type, with the objective of reducing surgical complications.Methods:To investigate time trends of maxillofacial fractures, we reviewed medical records from 2,196 patients with maxillofacial fractures in 1981∼1987 (Group A), 1995∼1999 (Group B), and 2008∼2012 (Group C). We analyzed each group, comparing the number of patients, sex ratio, age, fracture site, and etiology.Results:The number of patients in each period was 418, 516, and 1,262 in Groups A to C. Of note is the increase in the number of patients from Group A to C. The sex ratios were 5.6:1, 3.5:1, and 3.8:1 in Groups A, B, and C. The most affected age group for fracture is 20∼29 in all three groups. Traffic accidents are the most common cause in Groups A and B, while there were somewhat different causes of fracture in Group C. Sports-induced facial trauma was twice as high in Group C compared with Group A and B. Mandible fracture accounts for a large portion of facial bone fractures overall.Conclusion:We observed an increase in facial bone fracture patients at Kyungpook National University Dental Hospital over the years. Although facial injury caused by traffic accidents was still a major cause of facial bone fracture in all periods, the percentage decreased. In recent years, isolated mandible fracture increased but mandible and mid-facial complex fracture decreased, possibly because of a reduction in traffic accidents.

Fracture patterns in the maxillofacial region: a four-year retrospective study

“…There was no significant difference in the number of patients over the 4 years studied from 2010 to 2013. In contrast, Jeon et al 11 reported that the number of fractures approximately doubled each trimester in their analysis on facial trauma trends during 3 periods between 1981 and 2012. Kim et al 2 reported an increase in the number of fractures over time.…”

“…In particular, Al Ahmed et al 10 reported a huge bias against men with an 11:1 ratio, which may be due to ethnic characteristics in the UAE where social freedom for women is more restrictive than in other countries. On the other hand, in countries with more social freedom for women such as Greenland, Finland, and Austria, the sexual ratio remains 2.1:1 11 .…”

“…High physical and social activity in this age group may increase their chances of being exposed to trauma with a resultant high fracture incidence. On the other hand, there is also research that the rate of fractures in the elderly over 50 years old is increasing due to an aging society 11 .…”

Oral and maxillofacial trauma in motorcyclists in an Iranian subpopulation

“…Oral and maxillofacial trauma may follow MVAs and account for approximately 5% of the hospitalizations caused by trauma . Retrospective studies suggest that MVAs and falls are the main cause of dental trauma, whereas MVAs alone are the main cause of maxillofacial trauma …”

Comparison of oral-health-related quality of life in patients in the short- and long-term period following lower-facial injury and fractures – preliminary report

“…4,5 Based on epidemiological data, it has been suggested such injuries are most frequently incurred by males in their twenties and thirties. 6,7 Regardless of their intensity and origin, craniofacial injuries rank among the most dangerous, and frequently life-threatening traumas, and often require immediate surgery. This is linked with a significant risk of damage to the vital organs of the body located within the head and neck region, i.e.…”