Risk factors associated with facial fractures

The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors for facial fractures in patients treated in the emergency department of a hospital. The medical charts of 1121 patients treated in an emergency ward over a three-year period were analyzed. The independent variables were gender, age, place of residence (urban or rural area) and type of accident. The dependent variables were fractured mandible, zygoma, maxilla, nasal bone and more than one fractured facial bone. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test (a < 0.05), univariate and multivariate Poisson distributions and the logistic regression analysis (p < 0.20). Maxillofacial trauma was recorded in 790 charts (70.5%), with 393 (35.1%) charts reporting facial fractures. Motorcycle accidents were found to be the main risk factor for mandibular fractures (PR = 1.576, CI = 1.402-1.772) and simultaneous fractures of more than one facial bone (OR = 4.625, CI = 1.888-11.329) as well as the only risk factor for maxillary bone fractures (OR = 11.032, CI = 5.294-22.989). Fractures of the zygomatic and nasal bones were mainly associated with accidents involving animals (PR = 1.206, CI = 1.104-1.317) and sports (OR = 8.710, CI = 4.006-18.936), respectively. The determinant for the majority of facial fractures was motorcycle accidents, followed by accidents involving animals and sports.

Urban-rural differences in oral and maxillofacial trauma

The aim of this research was to assess oral and maxillofacial trauma in urban and rural populations of the same region. The data collected included age, gender, year and month of trauma occurrence, origin (rural and urban), cause of injury, and the type of oral and maxillofacial trauma. Records from 1121 patients with 790 instances of oral and maxillofacial trauma were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 software and involved descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-squared test. Male patients were more prone to maxillofacial trauma (n = 537; 68%), and the patients were mostly from urban areas (n = 534; 67.6%). The male-to-female ratio was found to be 2.12:1 (urban zone, 1.72:1; rural zone, 3.49:1). The average age was 25.7 years (SD = 14.1). A traffic accident was the most common cause of oral and maxillofacial trauma (27%). The jaw (18%) was the most commonly fractured bone in the facial skeleton, followed by the zygoma (12.9%). Avulsion (8.5%) was the most common dental trauma. A significant statistical relationship was found between place of origin and gender (p < 0.001). Accidents involving animals were more frequent in rural areas (P < 0.001). Zygomatic fractures (p < 0.001), contusion (p = 0.003), and abrasion (p = 0.051) were the most common injuries among individuals from rural areas. Nasal fracture (p = 0.011) was the most frequent type of trauma in individuals from urban areas. According to these data, it seems reasonable to assume that specific preventive public policy for urban and rural areas must respect the differences of each region.