RESUMEN
Context: Trauma has been an important public health problem worldwide. Facial injuries are among the most common types of trauma treated at emergency departments, associated or not with injuries in other anatomic sites. The patterns of facial fractures are usually affected by geography and socioeconomic conditions. Aim: To investigate the prevalence of facial fractures in Lages, state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, from September 2003 to August 2008. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional, retrospective, epidemiological study. Materials and Methods: Data on patients' gender, age, etiological agent, and facial region affected by fracture were collected from the charts of patients treated with facial fractures. Statistical Analysis Used: Qualitative variables were expressed as absolute and relative frequencies, and quantitative variables as means and standard deviation. The Chi-square test was used to evaluate the association between gender, traffic accidents and facial region affected. The association between etiological agents and facial region affected was assessed using the chi-square test and the adjusted residuals analysis. Results: 492 patients presented with oral and maxillofacial trauma, with 988 facial fractures; 80.9% of the patients were men, and the most frequent age group was 21-30 years (29.5%). The most frequent causes of fractures were: Traffic accidents in 27.9%, physical assault in 14.9%, and bicycle falls in 10.5%; several other causes scored below 10%. Conclusion: Regular publication of epidemiological data is extremely important for the implementation of prevention campaigns and for an increased awareness of the etiology of fractures affecting the face and other anatomic sites.