ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to compare the frequency of mandibular canine region fractures with fractures of other regions of mandible in patients with un-erupted canines at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital Karachi form January 2002 to March 2004. A Non Probability Convenience sample of all patients with age 6-12 years presenting with mandibular fracture were included. The sample was categorized into two groups: Age 6-9 years with un-erupted canines and Age 10-12 years with erupted canines. The fracture site parameter was categorized into two groups: Fractures in Canine Region and Fractures in other regions of the mandible. Total study sample was 76 subjects. Mean age of the subjects was calculated as 8.57 years [SD 1.94]. Male to Female ratio was 2.6:1. The most common cause of injury was recorded as fall 51.3% followed by road traffic accident 35.5%, assault and sports injuries accounted for 6.6%. The most common overall site of fracture was canine region 44.7%. In the age group [6-9 yrs] the fractures occurring in canine region were 51.3% and 15.8% in [9-12 years group]. Significant association was found to exist between the age groups [6-9 Years, 9-12 years] and fracture groups [canine region fractures, other region fractures] pvalue< 0.05. This study clearly demonstrates that mandibular fractures occur commonly in children in the region of un-erupted canines supporting the evidence of an area of weakness in the mandibular canine region, especially during the mixed dentition period