Oral and maxillofacial surgery - Helmet and maxillofacial trauma: a 10-year retrospective study

ABSTRACT

Aim: The aim of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate the epidemiologic characteristicsof the prevalence, type and treatment modalities of maxillofacial trauma according to use ofhelmets by motorcyclists in traffic accidents. Methods: Data was collected from patients during a10-year period (1999-2009). Data recorded included demographic, etiology, diagnosis, type offracture, use of helmet, associated facial and general trauma, soft tissue lesions and treatmentmethods. Data analysis included a descriptive analysis, Chi-square test and Kruskal-Wallis test.Results: From 376 motorcycle crash victims, 260 had maxillofacial fractures with a male/femaleratio of 4:1 and a mean age of 26.1. Considering the helmet as a security device, 89 patients werenot wearing a helmet during the crash against 287 patients that were wearing it. One hundred andsixteen patients had soft tissue lesions, 80 of them wore a helmet at the moment of the crash and36 did not (p<0.05). The most frequently fractured facial bone was the zygoma (24%) followedby the mandible. Conclusions: Motorcycle accidents represented almost one third of all maxillofacialinjuries seen at this Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Division, causing high morbidity. Educationalcampaigns, defensive driving and use of adequate helmets are necessary to decrease thenumber of facial injuries in such accidents.